San Francisco ranked sixth nationally this year on an annual park rating index, one spot ahead of last year’s seventh-place finish. Fremont ranked 38th, San Jose placed 41st, and Oakland climbed eight spots in the rankings to 44th.
The ParkScore index is a report from the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that works to create and protect parks, trails, and other public lands. The organization evaluates the park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities, using five criteria: park access, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.
“At a time when so much in our nation seems fractured or polarized, parks may be the last ideology-free zones, where everyone can come together, form meaningful relationships, and enjoy a few hours of peace and relaxation,” said Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land.
Oakland’s jump was credited to increased investment, the report said, spending $162 per resident this year, up significantly from last year’s $109.
San Francisco ranks second in the nation for park investment, behind Washington, D.C., spending $561 per resident on parks, far above the national ParkScore average of $133. However, San Francisco’s overall ranking was limited by its small median park size of 1.3 acres, below the national ParkScore average of 5.4 acres.
Easy access to parks is another scoring factor. According to the report, 100% of San Francisco residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Oakland follows with 88 percent, San Jose scores 79 percent, and Fremont offers 70 percent of residents having access within a 10-minute walk. San Francisco’s rise in the rankings was due primarily to the opening of the India Basin Waterfront Park, according to the report.
A public opinion survey conducted by national pollster YouGov in March found that 89% of residents in the study visited a public park at least once during the past year and 79% said they visit a local park regularly and feel comfortable spending time there. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they struck up a conversation with someone they had never met in a public park.
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