CHARLOTTE — While Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s score jumped four spots in the annual Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index for 2021, the county still found itself rated 91st out of 100 U.S. cities.
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) -- a nonprofit organization focused on protection of natural resources and greenspace advocacy -- released its ParkScore Index ratings last Thursday.
>> Click here for more information on Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index.
TPL’s ParkScore index -- considered by some to be the gold standard for park system evaluation -- ranks park systems in 100 of the largest cities across the country the United States.
It measures park systems according to five categories, with 100 points available in each:
- Access
- Investment
- Amenities
- Acreage
- Equity (new for 2021)
For access, Charlotte received seven points -- only 39% of people in the Queen City live within a 10-minute walk to a park. The national average is 55%.
Charlotte’s ranking was behind the other four North Carolina cities that made the list (Raleigh 31, Greensboro 76, Winston-Salem 79 and Durham 82). No South Carolina cities made the top 100.
>> Read the annual report here.
According to TPL, it attributes Mecklenburg County’s ratings jump from 95 to 91 to investments the county has made in its parks. According to the county, Charlotte/Mecklenburg invested $70 per person in parks in 2021, ahead of last year’s $56 per person investment but still below the national ParkScore average of $96.
“Mecklenburg County has made huge investments in our parks and greenways in order to improve the quality and accessibility for the benefit of all our residents,” Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said. “I am pleased to see that our efforts are receiving national recognition.”
TPL also reviews park space and distribution as part of its ratings criteria. Nationally, the ParkScore Index found major inequities in park space and distribution -- though inequities in access to park space within Mecklenburg County are below the national average.
“The latest Trust for Public Land ParkScore index results is a clear indication that the efforts of Mecklenburg County to improve our park system is working,” said W. Lee Jones, Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation Department Director.
Kristen Saunders and her family often visit Charlotte-Mecklenburg parks.
Saunders said she is a fan of county parks, but there’s also room for improvement.
“It could be better in other locations,” Saunders said.
In a release, the county said that while the 2021 ParkScore Index ratings ranked Charlotte below the national average, the county’s recommended budget for 2022 will “fund many of the inequities identified by the study, including the purchase of additional land and reinvestment in parks located in or near historically underserved communities.”
>>Click here for a statement from the director of the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department.
(WATCH: County commissioners to take closer look at crime in parks)
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