PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia has placed 32nd in a new ranking of parks in the country’s largest 100 cities. According to the report, the city does better than the national average on a number of measures but falls short on funding.
In its annual ParkScore report, the nonprofit Trust for Public Land ranked Philadelphia in a tie with Lincoln, Nebraska and San Jose, California. It gave the city high scores on amenities, for features such as splash grounds. It also gave high marks for access. 95% of Philadelphians live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
However, Owen Franklin, the organization’s Pennsylvania director, says spending lags. At about $86 per resident, it’s two-thirds of the national average.
“One area where the city has really historically had a challenge is in the administration of maintenance costs and how well we’re investing in the maintenance of space that we build and that we use,” Franklin said.
However, he says that’s an area where the city can improve. “This is a great opportunity to see where we’re beginning in the Parker administration and where the Parker administration’s commitment to ‘clean and green’ can really be founded,” he continued.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson says she is pleased with the ranking but doesn’t think the funding element is a good basis for comparison. She points to the volunteer work done by the city’s robust “Park Friends” network.
“They do a phenomenal job of picking up some of the weight in their neighborhoods,” Slawson said.
This year’s report was accompanied by research indicating that parks appear to help social connections.
“Cities that ranked higher in park scores have two key factors that also ranked higher, related to volunteer hours and the extent to which people have friendships across socio-economic lines,” Franklin said.
On that measure, he explains, Philadelphia does well, thanks to an abundance of gathering places such as recreation and senior centers.