6 FL Public Park Systems Ranked In Top 100 Nationally: Report

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A recent report from a nonprofit group that promotes parks as a matter of health, equity and justice ranked St. Petersburg among the top places in the country for park systems.

With 69.1 points out of a possible 100, Sunshine City ranks 15th in the ParkScore rankings from the San Francisco-based Trust For Public Land, which compared park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Five other Florida cities also made the top 100:

• No. 36 - Miami
• No. 43 - Tampa
• No. 64 - Orlando
• No. 81 - Jacksonville
• No. 94 - Hialeah

Here’s a look at how St. Petersburg scored in the five areas considered in the report (out of a possible 100 points in each category):

• Access: 65
• Acreage: 48
• Investment: 84
• Amenities: 72
• Equity: 77

The acreage score takes into account the median size of parks in the city and what percent of land in the city is dedicated to parks and green spaces, and the investment score measures park spending per resident.

There are 5,343 acres of parkland in St. Petersburg, which makes up about 13.6 percent of the city.

The access score measures what percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, a key goal of the organization. About 77 percent of those living in St. Petersburg is within a 10-minute walk of a public park.

The amenities score reflects the number of basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, recreation and senior centers, restrooms, and splash pads and spray grounds.

Finally, the equity score looks at the ratio of public park space between neighborhoods of color and white neighborhoods and between low-income and higher-income neighborhoods, as the access those neighborhoods have to parks within a 10-minute walk.

In St. Petersburg, 81 percent of people of color and 79 percent of low-income households are within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Along with the rankings, the Trust for Public Land published new research that showed cities that ranked in the top 25 were less likely to report poor mental health than residents of lower performing cities and were 21 percent less likely to be physically inactive.

The research, “The Power of Parks to Promote Health,” also found that parks and recreation departments nationwide are focusing on developing or reimagining parks with a focus on health and wellness. The report was based on nearly 800 examples of health-focused park activities, which run the gamut from partnerships with health care providers to “prescriptions” to spend time in nature to funding of fitness classes

“Health professionals have long understood that physical play and exercise is essential for childhood development, but we’re just starting to grasp the mental health benefits,” Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said in a news release.

“Simply being in a quiet natural place promotes stress reduction and attention restoration, and evidence suggests that local green space serves as a gathering point that fosters community cohesion, allowing for people to know their neighbors and form social bonds that promote health and safety,” he said.

The full methodology for the ParkScore rankings is found on the nonprofit’s website.