Minneapolis and St. Paul are slipping in the Trust for Public Land’s ranking of city park systems.
Both of the Twin Cities are still in the top five out of 100 larger cities included in the ranking, but other cities’ progress knocked Minneapolis and St. Paul down a spot each, to third and fifth place nationally.
Washington, D.C., retained the top spot, with Irvine, Calif., and Cincinnati improving in the ranking to take second and fourth place, knocking down the Twin Cities with major park expansions.
The annual ranking of big-city park systems by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit advocating for access to outdoor space, considers factors such as how many residents can walk to a park and how much cities spend on their parks. (The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the nonprofit’s change to allow cemeteries to count as parklands helped boost their rank.)
The Trust for Public Land has also been active in building parks in the Twin Cities, including the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, which the St. Paul City Council this week renamed WaKaƞ Típi, the Dakota name for a cave in the park.
“No other state can claim what Minnesota can: two nation-leading park systems in its largest cities,” said Sophie Harris Vorhoff, Minnesota State Director for the Trust for Public Land, in a statement. “As other communities raise the bar, we’re reminded that continued investment is essential to keep our parks strong, accessible, and equitable.”
St. Paul has plans to expand its park system in the years to come, including the completion of the Grand Round parkway system, and the new Pedro Park in downtown, which is under construction this summer.
Nearly all St. Paulites and Minneapolitans live near a park, according to the trust. In both cities, 99% of residents can walk to a park within 10 minutes.
