San Antonio parks have improved, but are far from the nation's top
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While San Antonio is gaining attention for its outdoor spaces and improving access to them, the city is far from ranking as one of the top parks cities in the country.
Driving the news: San Antonio ranks 57th among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, up from 59th last year, per the latest rankings from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-parks nonprofit.
How it works: 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.
Why it matters: Parks offer spaces for physical activity and social gatherings, improve visitors' moods and provide city dwellers a reprieve from noise and air pollution.
The big picture: San Antonio performs well when it comes to the size of our 419 parks and the percentage of our city dedicated to parks. But we have room for improvement when it comes to access, defined as the portion of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park.
By the numbers: San Antonio scored 25 out of 100 for access, 71 for acreage, 47 for investment, 56 for amenities and 49 for equity.
- 51% of San Antonio residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, up from 42% in 2019, per a city news release.
Between the lines: San Antonio residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 19% more park space per person than those in the average local neighborhood and 24% more than those in high-income neighborhoods, per the TPL.
- That differs from the national picture.
Details: San Antonio scores well for park amenities like bathrooms and recreation and senior centers. But we score poorly for our number of splash pads in this hot city, with less than one per 100,000 people.
State of play: City leaders ask voters to approve a parks bond every five years to pay for upgrades and new parks. Last year, voters approved a nearly $272 million parks bond to pay for 82 projects.
- It includes funding for a second phase of the new Classen-Steubing Ranch Park near Stone Oak, a new regional park on the Far West Side, and more.
What they're saying: "This not only ensures we’re keeping pace with our city’s growth, but that we provide a park system that is equitable and accessible for all members of our community," the city's parks and recreation director, Homer Garcia III, said in a statement.
Zoom out: Large Texas cities don't rank well for their parks nationally. Austin ranked 41st, Dallas ranked 43rd and Houston ranked 71st.
- Plano, near Dallas, is the highest-ranking Texas city, at 16th.
- The top parks city in the country is Washington, D.C., followed by Minnesota's twin cities — St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Reality check: Not every city park is a multi-acre Olmstedian masterpiece — yet even diminutive "pocket parks" and community garden lots confer physical, mental and social benefits.