Pittsburgh Breaks Top 25 Rankings Among U.S. Parks
WTAE
Every year, the Trust for Public Land assigns 100 cities in the U.S. a ParkScore.
Pittsburgh ranks 23rd, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and city of Pittsburgh announced Wednesday.
Pittsburgh jumped to 23rd from 39th in 2017.
"This is a true testament to the hard work, dedication and passion of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh," the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Jayne Miller, said.
"That strong partnership will continue to serve the residents of Pittsburgh as we make more park improvements and continue to strive for an equitable, accessible park system for all."
Miller was formerly head of the Minneapolis Park System, which was named the No. 1 park system in the country for the sixth time this year. Pittsburgh received a total score of 63.8 points out of 100, compared to 57.5 in 2017.
ParkScore rankings are based on the following four factors:
1) Park access: Measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park.
Pittsburgh score: 35/40
2) Park acreage: Based on a city's median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks.
Pittsburgh score: 32/40
3) Investment: Determines park spending per resident.
4) Park amenities: Includes amenities such as basketball hoops, dog parks, playgrounds and recreation and senior centers. Restrooms and splash pads were added to the list in 2018.
"All Pittsburghers deserve to live within a 10-minute walk of a park," Mayor William Peduto said.