An NPR member station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Annual Survey Puts Spokane Park System In National Top 20

Doug Nadvornick/SPR

A group that puts out an annual report ranking city park systems in the U.S. has slotted Spokane’s system in its top 20.

The Trust for Public Lands is a national organization that works to conserve land and create parks. David Patton, the group’s northwest regional director, says it evaluates park systems in five areas: easy access to parks, the amount of acreage, a city’s investment in its parks, park amenities and whether park space is available in all parts of the city.

“This is the first year that Spokane has been included in the ratings. We take the 100 largest cities in the country, so Spokane joined the group this year," he said.

Patton says the survey found Spokane’s to be the 17th best system in the country.

“They have one of the highest park access ratings of any city in the country, meaning the number of community members that live within a 10-minute walk of the park or a half a mile. That’s a really important factor for ensuring people have a chance to get outside and enjoy the parks in their neighborhood," he said.

He says Spokane ranks highly in the amount of park acreage, in public investment and park amenities.

The Trust for Public Lands ranks Washington, D.C.’s park system as the best in the nation. St. Paul and Minneapolis are second and third. On the West Coast, the survey ranks San Francisco sixth, Seattle ninth and Portland tenth.