Can you walk from your home to a park in 10 minutes?
Not everyone can answer yes to this question, but it’s the mission of National Walk to a Park Day, recognized annually on Oct. 10.
According to The Trust for Public Land, 100 million US residents don’t have a park or green space within a 10-minute walk of home, including over 386,000 Nashvillians.
The nonprofit focused on public land preservation ranked Nashville No. 86 on its 2021 ParkScore, which analyzes park systems in the 100 largest cities based on 5 characteristics: access, acreage, investment, amenities, and equity.
Here’s how Nashville’s park system stacks up (scores are ranked out of 100):
- 15 for access — residents within a 10-minute walk of a park
- 69 for acreage — median park size and percent of area dedicated to parks
- 31 for investment — park spending per resident
- 38 for amenities — features like playgrounds, basketball courts, and dog parks
- 38 for equity — distribution of parks and park acres according to race and income
Washington, D.C. has the best park system in the US, with 98% of residents able to access a park by foot within 10 minutes, according to the index.
Music City has over 135 public parks + 45% of residents can walk to a park or green space in 10 minutes.
Curious if you’re one of those residents? Plug in your address or use this interactive map that highlights priority areas for new parks in Nashville based on The Trust for Public Land’s findings.
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