San Francisco ‘parks’ at No. 1 spot

Congratulations, San Franciscans; you live in the best city for parks. If you happen to live in Sacramento, New York, Boston or Washington, D.C., you can also be pretty proud, as these cities round out the top five.

According to ParkScore, a rating system from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, San Francisco scored a 74 out of a possible 100. The City By The Bay is home to Portsmouth Square, The Presidio and Golden Gate Park. In total, San Francisco houses 5,384 acres of park, or 17.9% of the city’s area, serving 145 people per acre. The city spends $291.66 per resident on parks.

Following San Francisco is Sacramento, which scored a 73.5, and is home to Sutter Land Grants Park, American River Parkway and Old Sacramento State Historic Park. Sacramento’s 5,069 acres of park represent 8.1% of the city’s area. The city serves 69 people per park acre and spends $156.62 per resident on parks.

Tied for the No. 3 spot are New York and Boston, each with a score of 72.5. New York is home to such parks as Central Park, Battery Park and Gateway National Recreation Area. All told, the city’s 192,050 acres of park make up 19.6% of the city’s area, among the highest of all ranked cities. New York spends $152.39 per resident on parks.

Boston houses Boston Common and Stony Brook Reservation among its 4,897 acres of park land. The city’s parks make up 15.8% of its total area, and spending per resident is $105.70. Each Boston park serves 122 people per acre.

Rounding out the top five is Washington, D.C., with a score of 71.5, home to the National Mall and Rock Creek Park. The city’s parks make up 19.1% of the city area and serve 77 people per acre. The city spends $303.45 per resident on parks, the highest amount among the top five cities.

Other notable park cities include Portland, Ore; Virginia Beach, Va.; San Diego; Seattle; and Philadelphia.

The ParkScore rankings were determined by the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that works to conserve parks, gardens and other public spaces. The group used a Geographic Information System to provide an in-depth data to guide local park improvement efforts. To learn more about the system and to see where your city ranked, click here.

Tags: Boston, Boston Common, Central Park, Golden Gate Park, National Mall, New York, parks, Sacramento, San Francisco, Washington

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