Durham parks rank last among biggest US cities
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Durham's park system ranks the worst among the country's largest cities, per the nonprofit Trust for Public Land's new rankings.
- TPL's annual report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment.
Why it matters: It's been a rough few years for Durham's parks, with five of them closed to the public due to lead soil contamination issues.
- But the city is hoping to turn the corner on the issues and launch new investments into its parks.
Yes, but: That effort is complicated by tight budgets that most local municipalities are facing right now, as well as Durham's current budget recommendation, which calls for closing one of the city's outdoor pools.
Zoom in: Raleigh ranked No. 49 in the park rankings, up from No. 55 last year. Its spot was driven primarily by strong investment levels in the past three years, with $289 per capita spent on publicly accessible parks and recreation, according to the report.
- Much of that money has gone to Dix Park, which has emerged as the city's main park destination, and has been fueled by a $275 million parks bond that was passed in 2022.
- In contrast, the report puts Durham's investment at $70 per capita on publicly accessible parks and recreation.
The big picture: Durham leadership has acknowledged the success of Dix Park and Downtown Cary Park in recent years when talking about upgrading some of its parks. But the city has also expressed concern at the large price tags those projects had.
What's next: Here's what's next for Durham's parks:
- Lead issues: The city still awaits final reports and recommendations from the state on resolving the lead issues in five parks. A timeline remains unclear, but the city has set aside $12 million for remediating the parks. That might not be enough funding for the problem, however.
- Parks bond: In 2024, voters passed an $85 million bond for parks in Durham, including a new aquatic center at Merrick-Moore Park and improvements to East End Park. Work on East End has been delayed by the lead issue and construction on the aquatic center is expected to start later this year and open in 2030.
- Durham Rail Trail: The much anticipated addition to Durham's trail system would create nearly 2 miles of linear park through downtown. But the effort has been repeatedly delayed. The current goal is to begin construction in January. Other trails receiving funding: Third Fork Creek Trail and R. Kelly Bryant Bridge Trail.
- Durham Athletic Park renovation: A project with a less clear timeline is a renovation of the historic Durham Athletic Park into something more residents will use. Currently, the stadium is used sparingly, but city leaders hope to make it more engaging. New investments are also being proposed at the nearby Durham Central Park.
Go deeper into the report's methodology and reasoning.
