Minneapolis, St. Paul drop in rankings, but stay in top 5 list of park systems for U.S. cities
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The Trust for Public Land released its annual ParkScore index Wednesday, and the Twin Cities fell in the rankings.
Minneapolis is now No. 3, and St. Paul is now No. 5. The cities were ranked No. 2 and No. 3 last year.
The trust said the Twin Cities’ ranking change is partially due to other cities making improvements in park systems.
"The changes in rankings this year is largely driven by other cities catching up to the Twin Cities, making meaningful strides in investment, in access,” said Sophie Harris Vorhoff, the Minnesota state director for the Trust for Public Land.
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“But Minneapolis and St. Paul continue to be extraordinary park systems and continue to pave the way for what's possible for parks in our communities,” she said.
Irvine, Calif., jumped to No. 2 from No. 4. The Trust for Public Land said the improvement was due to the city’s work on its Great Park, a public space with a variety of park amenities. The city’s website said the park is currently more than 500 acres and there are 300 more acres in progress.
Washington, D.C., is in the top spot and Cincinnati rounds out the top 5.
The Trust for Public Land ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities’ park systems using five categories: acreage, access, equity, investment and amenities.
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul rank highest in access and investment.
“One of the things that’s most extraordinary is that in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, over 99 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. That is so important in terms of having access to these spaces,” Harris Vorhoff said.
“We know that access to the outdoors and green spaces is a fundamental human need. It makes us healthier, more connected, happier,” she said.
Despite its high access ranking, Minneapolis ranks lower in equity, which compares park access by race and income.
“Depending on your income level, you might have less access to large-scale parks,” Harris Vorhoff said.
At a time when people are polarized on many issues, Harris Vorhoff said parks unify people across demographics and party lines.
“Sometimes it feels like we don’t agree on many things. Parks are something that everybody agrees on. These are places where everyone can feel welcome, where we can find alignment, connection, across differences,” she said.
Survey data from the Trust for Public Land found that regardless of whether they voted for Vice President Kamala Harris or President Donald Trump in 2024, the majority of respondents visit local parks, have a “home base” park where they feel comfortable and welcomed and recall having struck up a conversation with someone they hadn’t previously known at a park.
