Detroit drops in park ranking
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Detroit ranks 65th out of the country's 100 most populous cities for its public parks — down five spots from last year — according to a new report by the pro-park nonprofit Trust for Public Land.
Why it matters: Parks confer a wealth of health benefits, and the report found that residents in high-scoring cities are also more socially connected with their neighbors.
How it works: The Trust for Public Land annually scores cities' park systems based on access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment.
- Each city is awarded points based on those factors and then given an overall "ParkScore" of up to 100.
Here are more findings from the report:
- 84% of Detroiters live within a 10-minute walk to a park, higher than the median for all the top cities of 74%.
- However, Detroit received just 20 out of 100 points for its park acreage and 21 out of 100 for the park system's financial health.
- Neighborhoods with the highest concentration of people of color have access to 38% less park space per person than neighborhoods with the most white people.
The big picture: Detroit is overhauling its green spaces, including using more than $10 million of its pandemic-recovery American Rescue Plan Act funding for parks and $11 million for the Joe Louis Greenway.
- The parks and rec department debuted a five- to 10-year vision in 2022 with goals including more walking paths, expanding natural habitats to 1,500 acres and increasing engagement and programming.
- Challenges remain like trash maintenance, safety concerns and lack of distributed information about offerings.