By Experience AZ | AZ Big Media
The Trust for Public Land announced today that Washington, DC, was rated the nation’s best park system on the organization’s annual ParkScore index. The city edged ahead of Saint Paul, MN, followed closely by third-place Minneapolis, which held the top spot in 2020.
The ParkScore index ranks park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities and is widely considered the gold standard for park evaluation.
Among area cities, the Scottsdale park system placed 66th, Chandler ranked 69th, Gilbert placed 75th; Glendale finished 73rd; Mesa placed 96th; and Phoenix ranked 82nd. Gilbert was included in the ParkScore index for the first time this year and received a boost from strong marks for park investment. The city invests $185 per person on parks, well above the national ParkScore average of $96. However, the city’s ParkScore ranking was negatively affected by below-average marks for park amenities.
