Arlington’s parks have maintained their ranking as some of the best in the country for the seventh year in a row.
Arlington ranks fifth in the national “ParkScore” rankings released today — the same spot that it held last year, but behind its No. 3 ranking in 2022. The county’s parks have ranked among the top 5 in the nation since 2018.
“Park leaders are stepping up to promote community connection and address the national epidemic of loneliness and social isolation,” said Diane Regas, president and CEO of the Trust for Public Land, which conducts the rankings.
The organization singled out Arlington’s intergenerational storytime program, where seniors read to kids at Aurora Hills Library, for specific praise.
The ParkScore rankings combine a variety of factors, including access, equity and investment. Arlington continues to excel in access, with 99% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park, the Trust for Public Land said in a press release.
In terms of park spending, the county currently invests $303 per resident — well above the national ParkScore city average of $124.
Residents of localities with high ParkScore ratings tend to be more socially connected, more likely to volunteer and more likely to form friendships with people from different socio-economic groups, the press release says.
Arlington was the only locality in Virginia to rank in the top 10 this year. Across the river, D.C. maintained its No. 1 ranking.
“We’re impressed with with we’ve seen this year, and we will continue working with cities throughout the United States to support park access for all,” Regas said.
More from the Trust for Public Land press release, below.
Trust for Public Land announced today Washington, DC, was rated the nation’s
best big-city park system by the 2024 ParkScore ® index. Minneapolis, Minnesota, climbed into second, Saint Paul placed third, Irvine, California, finished fourth, and Arlington, VA retained its fifth-place position. The ParkScore index evaluates park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities. 2024 is the fourth consecutive year that Washington earned the ParkScore crown and Arlington finished among the top five.Both cities ranked highly on all ParkScore index rating factors. Ninety-nine percent of Washington and Arlington residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, far exceeding the national ParkScore average of 76 percent. Both cities also outperform on park investment. Washington spends $345 per resident on parks and Arlington invests $303. Both cities more than
double the national ParkScore city average of $124.Washington also outperformed on ParkScore’s park equity metrics. Residents of the District who identify as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are equally likely to live within a 10-minute-walk of a park as are residents of neighborhoods where a majority of the population identifies as white. Park space per capita is also distributed nearly equally in Washington.
By contrast, among all ParkScore cities, neighborhoods where most residents identify as people of color have access to an average of 45 percent less park space than predominately white neighborhoods. Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 45 percent less park space than residents in high-income neighborhoods.
Accompanying the annual ratings list, Trust for Public Land published new research reporting that residents of cities with high ParkScore rankings are, on average, more socially connected and engaged with their neighbors than are residents of cities with lower-ranking park systems.
The research report, The Power of Parks to Strengthen Community, found that residents of cities ranking in the top quarter of the ParkScore index are 60 percent more likely to volunteer than are residents of lower-ranking cities. Residents of higher-ranking cities are also 26 percent more likely to form friendships with people in different socio-economic groups. A strong body of research indicates that relationships crossing income divides increase economic mobility and reduce inequality. Social connections also lead to better physical and mental health.
The Power of Parks to Strengthen Community details many strategies used by civic leaders to facilitate social connection at parks. Some common tactics include hosting movie nights and other gatherings at public recreation centers, sponsoring arts and fitness classes, and supporting voter registration drives. The research is based on nearly 900 examples shared with Trust for Public Land by city park leaders.
“Park leaders are stepping up to promote community connection and address the national epidemic of loneliness and social isolation,” says Diane Regas, President and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “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 and Arlington are among the national leaders working to promote community connection at local parks. For example, Arlington has created several reading and writing opportunities that bring seniors and young people together, while Washington offers physical activity programs that encourage people from all backgrounds to gather at local parks to be active and socialize.
