Boston Public Park System Ranked Among Best In The U.S.: Report

MASSACHUSETTS — A recent report from a nonprofit group that promotes parks as a matter of health, equity and justice ranked Boston among the best in the country for park systems.

Boston ranks 10th in the ParkScore rankings — tied with New York City — from the San Francisco-based Trust For Public Land, which compared park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Here's a look at how Boston scored in the five areas considered in the report:

Access: 100
Acreage: 49
Investment: 79
Amenities: 58
Equity: 78

The report determined that 100 percent of Boston residents live within a 10-minute walk of a public park.

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.

The access score measures what percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, a key goal of the organization. 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.

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 healthcare providers to “prescriptions” to spend time in nature to the 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