How Many People In Lake Forest And Lake Bluff Live Near Parks?

LAKE FOREST-LAKE BLUFF, IL — It’s no secret that public parks are essential to a community’s health, particularly for kids. They provide a safe place for people to gather, explore and play. They give dogs a place to frolic. They often increase the value of surrounding homes. And they can serve as a home for major festivals and events.

But new data crunched by The Trust for Public Land released last week suggests many Americans — one in three — don’t have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home.

In Lake Forest, 10,960 residents, or 57 percent, live near a park. Conversely, 8,350 residents live in so-called “park deserts.” Meanwhile in Lake Bluff, 66 percent of residents are within a 10-minute walk from a local park – 3,627 people compared to 1,889 outside of walking distance.

Here’s a park breakdown of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff:

Total parks

• Lake Forest: 25
• Lake Bluff: 12

Total acreage

• Lake Forest: 1,363 — equal to 1,033 football fields
• Lake Bluff: 152

Percent of kids who live within a 10-minute walk of a park

• Lake Forest: 56 percent
• Lake Bluff: 66 percent

As for neighboring towns, 92 percent of Highland Park residents and 88 percent of Deerfield residents are within a short walk of a park, but just 31 percent of those who live in Bannockburn can say the same.

Nationwide, just 54 percent of people in urban areas live near a park, the organization found.

“Today, more than 100 million people in communities across America don’t have a park within a 10-minute walk of home — and that’s 100 million too many,” Diane Regas, president and CEO of the organization, said in a release. “ParkServe will help us address this challenge, so every person in America can experience the countless benefits of having a park close to home.”

The group recently released a mapping tool showing what areas of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff need more parks the most. The dark green areas on the map indicate existing park space and the red areas show neighborhoods that need a park. The blue circled numbers indicate the best locations for new park development, ranked by how significant an impact it would have on the neighborhood.

The group says this is the first time in America’s history that every park in each urban municipality has been mapped. Residents can now determine who has and who lacks walkable access to a park, an important tool for city planners.

The tool also allows people to see the percentage of residents who live near a park by income, ethnicity, age and other demographic factors.

“The ParkServe data platform takes the guesswork out of planning where to put a park,” said Breece Robertson, the director of the group’s geographic information system. “It tells mayors and recreation departments, ‘To serve the most people in need, build a park right here.’”

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed.