According to a newly released report from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, Saint Paul parks are ranked in multiple categories at or near the very top in the country. Of course, this report just confirms one of the many reasons why St. Paul is “the most livable city in America.” Without a doubt, the Saint Paul parks system is highly treasured by its residents.
When it comes to the amount of land dedicated to parks, St. Paul came in at second in a category that compared the city to others with similar population densities. According to the report, Saint Paul has set aside approximately 14.7 percent of its land to parks and green spaces. The only other city within this “immediate-to-high” population category to have more land dedicated to parks was the City of Minneapolis with 16.6 percent.
The Trust for Public Land reports the following ranks for Saint Paul (and Minneapolis!) when compared to a total of 60 of America’s largest cities:
- When it comes to recreation centers, St. Paul is ranked 1st, with 3 centers per every 20,000 residents. Minneapolis came in 2nd with 2.6.
- Saint Paul is tied for 3rd for Tennis courts with 3.7 of them per every 10,000 residents. Minneapolis was ranked 1st at 4.9.
- St. Paul loves its baseball, with 5.6 ball diamonds per every 10,000 residents, putting it once again in 1st place. Minneapolis, also loves baseball, came in at a close 2nd with 5.3.
- In regards to skateboard parks, Saint Paul still made it into the top tier at 16 with 0.7 per every 100,000 residents. Minneapolis faired much better in this category with 1.6 skateparks for every 100,000 residents, placing it in 3rd.
- St. Paul spends $224 on park-related spending per resident, placing the city in 3rd. Minneapolis ranked at 8th with $151.
- Saint Paul cares for its parks year round. St. Paul employs 1.08 non-seasonal municipal park employees per every 1,000 residents, placing it at 14th. Minneapolis was ranked 5th with 1.56 per 1,000 residents.
Saint Paul was also mentioned in the report as having one of the oldest parks in the nation. Rice Park was first dedicated 1849. The oldest existing park in the nation is Boston Common in Boston, Mass., first dedicated in 1634.
As a whole, the 60 biggest cities of the United States included in this report added 5,375 new acres of parkland during 2007. That brings their combined total of public urban green spaces serving residents of urban America to over 1.3 million acres. That is more acreage than Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, and Shenandoah National Parks combined!
The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization. It describes its mission as conserving land "for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."
For their website, click here. For the extensive and full report on city park stats, please click here.
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