San Diego's park system rises in the rankings among major cities
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San Diego's park system ranks 22nd among the country's 100 biggest cities, according to a new report by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL).
Why it matters: America's best parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, promote exercise and play, and can attract new residents — but they require continued investment, and city budget cuts put that at risk.
Driving the news: San Diego moved up four spots from last year, largely driven by an increased investment in public parks and recreation sites and more amenities like sport courts, playgrounds and activities.
- But the city is still lagging behind in equity, with low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color having less park space than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.
By the numbers: The city spends about $232 per capita each year on parks, per the report. That's up from $173 the previous year and higher than the national median ($133), but there's still room to grow.
- 81% of San Diego residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, which is also above the national average.
- More than 560 parks on 43,216 acres of land account for about 21% of the entire city.
Between the lines: People living in neighborhoods with more minority races have 69% less park space than those in white neighborhoods.
- Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 79% less than those in high-income neighborhoods.
- But the majority of people have parks close to home, regardless of age, income or race.
Friction point: The city's budget crisis is hitting parks with proposed staffing cuts, limited hours at recreation centers and bathroom closures that would worsen disparities and reduce the quality of parks.
- San Diego's City Council is expected to vote on the final draft of the budget in June.
The big picture: TPL's annual ParkScore index ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity.
- Washington, D.C., remained at the top with high access and investment scores, followed by Irvine, California, and Minneapolis.
- Chula Vista slipped in the rankings from 80th down to 84th largely due to a lack of investment and park access in low-income neighborhoods.
What we're watching: The city has been upgrading local parks in underserved areas and working on a "park needs index" to target investments in particular neighborhoods.