DALLAS — This story originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal
Dallas ranks 53rd in an annual ranking of park systems in the 100 most populous cities, a new report finds.
The Trust for Public Land ParkScore index evaluates the park systems by comparing the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park, park space and park access communities of color and low-income neighborhoods have compared to white communities and high-income neighborhoods, the city’s median park size, park spending per resident and park amenities.
Due to moves by other cities, Dallas’ rank dipped three points from last year, but the city’s park system scored near or above the national average. Dallas has a median park size of 7.8 acres, above the national average of 5.4 acres. Nationally, 75% of people live within a 10-minute walk of a park compared to 73% of Dallas residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
The report also found that 73% of people of color and 72% of low-income households in the city have access to a park within a 10-minute walk. Black neighborhoods in Dallas have 40% more park space than the city median, and low-income neighborhoods have 5% less park space than high-income neighborhoods.
Trust for Public Land Texas state director Robert Kent said the ParkScore index measures the provision of park space and not the quality of those spaces.
“That's harder to measure and do an apples-to-apples comparison,” Kent said. “I think that there's a lot of anecdotes out there, which there's some truth in them. You can go to some of these parks that are located in low-income neighborhoods or neighborhoods that are predominantly people of color, and you'll see that the quality of those parks is not necessarily and always at the same level that you might find in a high-income neighborhood or white neighborhood.”
Parks are a central part of healthy and thriving communities and can help combat health and environmental issues often seen in low-income neighborhoods, Kent said.
“When you have a park nearby, that can help reduce the urban heat island effect and keep that neighborhood cool in those summertime heat waves like we're experiencing right now here in Dallas,” Kent said. “When we look at it through an equity lens, considering that so many low-income neighborhoods face a variety of challenges, whether it's health, urban heat or other environmental issues, parks can be a really good solution to solve a lot of these other issues. That's why it's important to make sure that we're building parks and locating parks in the communities where they can do the most good.”
Outside of Dallas, Plano placed 15th and was the highest-ranked city in Texas. The report found that 77% of Plano residents live within a 10-minute walk from a park.
Plano’s median park size is 13.9, and 77% of people of color and 74% of low-income neighborhoods have access to a park within a 10-minute walk. Communities of color in Plano have 1% more park space than white communities, and low-income neighborhoods have 35% less park space than high-income neighborhoods.
Arlington moved up nine points in the ranking and was listed at 68. Arlington’s average park size is 12.6, and 59% of its residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The index reports that 60% of people of color and 59% of low-income neighborhoods have access to a park within a 10-minute walk. Neighborhoods of color in Arlington have an average of 68% less park space than white neighborhoods, and low-income neighborhoods have an average of 57% less park space than high-income neighborhoods.
Fort Worth also increased in the rankings and was listed at 86, three points up from last year. The city has a median park size of 8.7 acres, and 61% of its residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Quality and equitable access to parks can improve the quality of life for residents and help the region attract top talent, Kent said.
“If you look at the data, we know that when businesses make decisions on where to relocate, where to set up shop, quality of life for their employees is always at the top of that list,” Kent said. “Think about Plano when Toyota moved to the city. You better believe that the fact that Plano had one of the best park systems in the country figured into helping make a case for why Toyota would want to move from California to Texas. They were able to tell their employees amongst a lot of reasons to move to Plano, and they have one of the best park systems in the country.”
“North Texas is a region that is driven by business or places to do business,” Kent added. “Our civic leaders listen to our business leaders, so business leaders need to be proponents and outspoken supporters of the need for quality and equitable parks across the North Texas region.”
