Parks serve people—and they’re vital defense, too. “Climate change is upon us,” says the Trust for Public Land. “Parks are a critical weapon in the fight.”
In a new ParkScore study of the 100 most-populous cities in the U.S., Plano ranked the highest in Texas at No. 15 in a multi-year streak. The city of Dallas ranked No. 53, on the heels of its opening of the new Carpenter Park in downtown Dallas.
The 2022 TPL study evaluated cities with regard to parks for access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.
View at Oak Point Nature Preserve in Plano [Image: NicholasGeraldinePhotos/Shutterstock]
Other North Texas cities on the list include Arlington at No. 68, Fort Worth at No. 86, Garland at No. 91, and Irving at No. 98. Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked No. 39, San Antonio No. 59, and Houston No. 70.
The power of parks
Eighty-five percent of cities are adapting parks and recreation facilities to address climate change, TPL researchers found. From countering heat, reducing flowing and runoff, and managing to sequester carbon dioxide, cities are using a range of practices to adapt their parks.
TPL SVP Howard Frumkin, says the innovative thinking applied by our cities is yielding another positive outcome: “Hope.”
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R E A D N E X T
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