ATLANTA — When it comes to the health of a community, research suggests access to parks makes a city a healthier place to live.
Across the United States, the ParkScore report, put together by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), ranked the top 100 cities for access to parks and investment in green spaces.
For Georgia, Atlanta ranked No. 28, due to a high percentage of the city population having a public park within 10 minutes of where they live.
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According to the 2023 ParkScore Index, 77% of Atlanta lives near a park, which TPL said was just slightly higher than the national average.
Not only does a lot of Atlanta have a park within walking distance, the city also spends roughly $211 per person on publicly accessible parks and recreation, according to the ParkScore Index, putting it “among the highest for this category” across the U.S.
Additionally, “Atlanta scores above average,” when it comes to park amenities, with a diverse group of Atlantans using the parks and recreation areas in the city, mixed between kids, teens, adults, and seniors.
The report said Atlanta’s score for amenities is somewhat varied by type, with high scores for dog park, senior and recreation center and splashpad use. On the other hand, Atlanta scores lower for basketball hoops, permanent restrooms and playgrounds, according to the report.
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While the city’s score is overall high, when it comes to equity, the ParkScore Index puts Atlanta in the bottom half of the 100 cities studied.
In terms of access to parks and park spaces, Atlanta has less of a balance when it comes to low-income households and people of color accessing those spaces.
TPL describes their equity measure as “indicating the fairness in distribution of parks and park space between neighborhoods by race and income.”
According to the report’s research, “residents living in neighborhoods of color have access to 50% less nearby park space than those living in white neighborhoods,” while “residents living in lower-income neighborhoods have access to 32% less nearby park space than those in higher-income neighborhoods.”
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The City of Atlanta lists more than 400 parks that are officially managed locally.
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