Cleveland falls out of top 25 cities for parks

Cleveland ranks 26th among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, per the latest report from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-parks nonprofit, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

• The group rates cities on a variety of metrics, including the percentage of residents who live near a park, the share of city land reserved for parks, parks investment and more; cities are then awarded a "ParkScore."

By the numbers: Cleveland scored 74 out of 100 for access, 32 for acreage, 66 for investment, 60 for amenities and 71 for equity.

Details: Eighty-three percent of Cleveland residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, above the national average of 76%.

The intrigue: Cleveland fell three spots from its ranking in 2022, but TPL noted in a statement that the city’s "slight dip resulted primarily from positive moves by other cities, not changes to the local park system."

Why it matters: Parks confer a wealth of benefits — including, as TPL points out in its latest annual report, significant health boosts.

• Parks offer spaces for physical activity and social gatherings, improve visitors' moods, and provide city dwellers a reprieve from noise and air pollution and the effects of climate change.

The big picture: At a national level, parks spending hasn't recovered to pre-Great Recession levels, says TPL senior director for strategy and innovation Linda Hwang.

• But that's largely driven by the country's biggest cities — by contrast, many midsize cities are increasing their parks spending.

Zoom in: Cleveland last month announced its first-ever master planning process for the city's parks and recreation amenities.

What they're saying: "This plan is all about access and equity, removing barriers, building community, and creating places and experiences that enrich peoples’ lives," Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement.

What's next: The landscape architecture firm Olin will be in town next week to visit city parks and rec centers and interview stakeholders, a city hall spokesperson told Axios.

• Formal community engagement is likely to begin in late June or early July.