Dallas moved up four spots in this year’s scoring of park systems, remaining the top-ranked among major Texas cities.
The nonprofit Trust for Public Land’s annual report ranks park systems in the 100 most populous cities based on equity, access, investment, amenities and acreage. Dallas jumped from 38th last year to 34th this year, primarily because of gains in park access.
Molly Morgan is the Texas State Director for TPL. She said more than 80% of Dallas residents now live within 10 minutes of a park — up from 54% in 2016.
"That is a lot more people in the city of Dallas who now have a usable green space near their home," Morgan said. "It's important that our green spaces in our park system match the needs of communities.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson wrote in a post on X last week that the city is in its “golden age of parks.”
Among all Texas cities, Plano once again ranked the highest, landing 17th on the list.
Morgan said the city has long invested in its park system.
Plano also scored highly in amenities for things like facilities and basketball hoops.
Frisco, meanwhile, ranked 37th, and Arlington ranked 46th.
The annual ParkScore Index is a tool that helps TPL positive investments and improvements. Morgan said the score is important because parks bring people together, especially in a post-COVID world.
Olla Mokhtar is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Olla at omokhtar@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
