Our 2021 ParkScore® index is out today, and you’ll notice some major changes to the rankings this year. We have a new top city, for starters. And we've debuted new measures of park equity.

The index reveals 75% of people in the 100 largest cities in the U.S. live within a 10-minute walk of a park — the highest access score in the Index’s 10-year history! But it also reveals significant inequities in our nation’s park systems.

The data backs up what we've seen in our work across the country: Across the 100 ParkScore cities, parks serving low-income communities and people of color are smaller and more crowded than parks in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. We’re leading a movement to bridge that equity divide.

Parks are more than a nice-to-have. Whether we’re talking about community health or climate resilience, parks are a vehicle for solutions to many of the problems our society faces. The Trust for Public Land is more committed than ever to ensuring equitable access to park spaces across the country. We're working with the neighborhoods that have been subjected to longstanding environmental and racial injustices to co-create green spaces that welcome and work for everyone.  

So, go ahead, explore the 2021 ParkScore index and see how your city performs.

Thank you for staying on this journey with us. We look forward to seeing you outside.

— Ronda Lee Chapman,  

The Trust for Public Land Director of Equity