Irvine maintained its title as one of the state and nation’s most park-friendly cities, ranking fourth in the country in an annual survey rating municipalities’ investments in ensuring public access to open space.
Irvine’s fourth-place finish is the same as last year’s ranking in the annual ParkScore report compiled by the Trust for Public Land and released Tuesday night. The report noted that 93% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, well above the national average of 76%.
The report estimated that Irvine spends $643 per resident on parks, humbling the national average of $124.
San Francisco was the only other California city to make the top 10, ranking seventh, the same position as last year.
The report’s authors noted, however, that most other Southern California cities saw their rankings dip in this year’s survey, compared to a year ago.
Santa Clarita, which was ranked 47th nationally last year, slipped to 49th in this year’s survey, while Long Beach fell three spots to 61st. Anaheim and Riverside tied for 76th place nationally. Anaheim was 68th last year, while Riverside fell from 75th.
Los Angeles ranked 88th in the country, down from 80th a year ago. The survey determined that Los Angeles spends an average of $108 per resident on park space, up slightly from $106 a year ago. But the percentage of L.A. residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park was only 63%.
Santa Ana ranked 93rd on the survey, down from 90 a year ago.
Officials with the Trust for Public Land noted that while many Southern California cities slipped in the rankings, they tend to be among the national leaders in promoting civic engagement at parks, using the spaces for activities such as voting locations and other civic-participation programs.
“Park leaders are stepping up to promote community connection and address the national epidemic of loneliness and social isolation,” Diane Regas, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land, said in a statement.
“By mixing tried and true strategies like fitness classes and sports leagues with innovative ideas like intergenerational storytime, where senior volunteers share their favorite books with children, cities are finding creative ways to bring people together and strengthen community bonds. We’re impressed by what we’ve seen this year, and we will continue working with cities throughout the United States to support park access for all.”
Washington, D.C., was the top-ranked city in the ParkScore report for the fourth consecutive year. Minneapolis took second place, followed by St. Paul, Minnesota; Irvine; and Arlington, Virginia.