Where Richmond's park system ranks nationally
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Richmond ranks 39th 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.
Why it matters: Parks confer a wealth of benefits — including, as TPL points out in its latest annual report, significant health boosts.
- Residents of the top 25 cities by ParkScore are less likely to report poor mental health or low physical activity, the TPL report says.
- The group rates cities on metrics including the percentage of residents who live near a park, the share of city land reserved for parks and parks investment. Cities are then awarded a "ParkScore."
Details: Richmond scored 70 out of 100 for access, 36 for acreage, 38 for investment, 51 for amenities and the highest, 84 points, for equity.
- Low-income residents in Richmond are 2% more likely (83%) to be 10 minutes from a park than high-income ones (81%).
- Residents in city neighborhoods with the highest concentration of people of color have access to 215% more total park space than those in areas with the highest concentration of white residents.
By the numbers: Richmond spends $99 per capita on parks, under the $108 average among the 100 most populous U.S. cities.
Zoom in: On park amenities, Richmond saw its highest score (100 points out of 100) for its number of senior and rec centers per 10,000 residents.
- 🏀 Basketball hoops: 94/100.
- 🐕 Dog parks: 45/100.
- 🛝 Playgrounds: 33/100.
- 💦 Splash pads: 30/100.
Of note: The number of park bathrooms in Richmond compared to other cities put it at the bottom of the ranking (1 point out of 100) for having three bathrooms total in city parks.
- Yes, but: There are actually six park bathrooms, city parks spokesperson Tamara Jenkins tells Axios, plus lots of Port-a-Johns.
Zoom out: Washington, D.C., took top honors in TPL's latest ranking largely thanks to its parks investment and access scores.