Atlanta parks leap up U.S. rankings
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Atlanta's increased investment in parks and programs that opened up community access to school playgrounds helped the city leapfrog in national green-space rankings.
Driving the news: That's according to the 2025 ParkScore index, an annual ranking from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-park nonprofit.
- The report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity.
Why it matters: City parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents — but they require investment, attention and protection.
What they found: Atlanta earned a total of 67.3 points, putting the city at 21st place, between Boise and San Diego.
- That's four spots higher than the 2024 list and worlds away from the 49th ranking in 2021.
In the weeds: Credit goes to the continued construction of the Atlanta Beltline and the partnership between the city, Atlanta Public Schools, Park Pride and TPL to allow communities to use school playgrounds when classes are not in session.
By the numbers: According to the index, 82% of Atlantans now live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
- The city spends roughly $272 per person on parks, compared with TPL's national average of $133. Only seven cities matched Atlanta's investment, and all are in the top 10.
Yes, but: Atlanta's relatively low park acreage hurt the city's total point count. In addition to city green space expansion efforts, nonprofits like The Conservation Fund are buying and banking land for future parks and preserves.
The intrigue: Parks may be the one issue on which people of all political stripes can agree.
- According to TPL's National polling, roughly 80% of both Trump and Harris voters say they have a "home base" park where they feel comfortable.
Yes, and: Parks can also spark residents to become civically engaged and take ownership of their community parks' futures.
- Vine City residents created Alliance for Cook Park to play a role in the development of the green space, which TPL helped create.
Zoom out: Washington, D.C., is once again home to the country's best city park system, according to the rankings.
- Irvine, California, is in second, while Minneapolis ranks third. St. Paul, Minnesota, sits in fifth — meaning the Twin Cities remain a solid option for park lovers.
Stunning stats: Among the cities analyzed, $12.2 billion was invested in park and recreation systems in 2024, while 76% of residents now live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
- Those are both records since TPL started tracking such figures in 2007 and 2012, respectively.
What's next: Some of the money cities are spending on public parks lately is tied to pandemic-era federal infrastructure funding, which won't last forever.
- "It'll be interesting to see over the next couple of years, if there aren't replacement funds ... what that will mean for cities and communities that are really wanting to invest in parks," TPL president and CEO Carrie Besnette Hauser tells Axios.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Vine City residents created the Alliance for Cook Park (not Friends of Cook Park).