Philadelphia ranks #28 in the U.S. for public parks
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The Schuylkill River Trail along Kelly Drive is always a sure bet. Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Philadelphia's park system is moving up in a national ranking, but still has room for improvement.
Why it matters: City parks serve as community meetup spots, offer space for exercise, and can attract new residents, but they require investment and protection.
Driving the news: That's according to the 2025 ParkScore index, an annual ranking from the Trust for Public Land out last week.
- The pro-park nonprofit analyzed and ranked the park systems of the 100 most populous U.S. cities, rating them on five factors — access, equity, acreage, investment and amenities.
What they found: Philly scored a total of 63.1 points, with high marks for park access.
- That ranks us the 28th best park system in the country — up from 32nd last year.
Zoom out: Washington, D.C., was (once again) the country's best park system, followed by Irvine, California.
- Pittsburgh ranked 15th.
Between the lines: Mayor Cherelle Parker has made cleaning and greening the city among her top policy goals.
- That has included launching a citywide cleaning program and cracking down on illegal dumping.
- Plus: The city's yearslong Rebuild program continues to restore parks, rec centers, and libraries.
Zoom in: Philly's recreation centers and splash pads are bright spots in the report, Owen Franklin, Trust for Public Land's Pennsylvania state director, tells Axios.
Meanwhile, the city has seen an increase in its investment score over the last year.
- Yes, but: Philly still invests less per capita ($112) than the national average ($133).
The other side: The report also found several areas where Philly can improve its park system.
- Only 13% of Philly's land is used for parks and recreation, which is below the national median (15%).
- Franklin noted that the city also spends less on park maintenance than similar-sized cities.
- And certain amenities are lacking in the city, like dog parks.
The city's parks aren't spread evenly throughout all neighborhoods.
- Residents living in low-income neighborhoods have access to 14% less park space per person than those in high-income areas, per the report.
What we're watching: Funding for parks isn't guaranteed.
- Philly is facing uncertainty around future federal funding, and the Trump administration is making deep cuts to the National Park Service.
The bottom line: Franklin said that despite the city's fraught political environment, parks are a "unique opportunity to find common ground."