Quality of parks puts Las Vegas in middle of the national pack
Las Vegas came in just below the middle of the pack in a ranking of park systems in the 50 largest cities in America.
The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore ratings, released today , gave Las Vegas two-and-a-half out of a possible five park benches, a sliding score tallied relative to the rest of the list. The city was 29th this year, down from 23rd in 2012 when 40 cities were ranked. The trust looks at park size, spending and access.
Las Vegas fared well when it came to park size and spending. Median size was almost eight acres, about two acres larger than the national average. The city spent an average of almost $219 per its nearly 570,000 residents. Nationally, the median spending per resident is $85.
Accessibility hurt the score . Only 46 percent of Las Vegans live within a 10-minute walk to a park, compared with ParkScore’s average 64 percent.
Las Vegas’ sprawl means it doesn’t have the population density of East Coast cities such as New York, said Peter Harnik, director of the trust’s Center for City Park Excellence.
Las Vegas spokesman Jace Radke said officials are proud of the city’s more than 100 parks and recreational facilities.
In August, Lorenzi Park’s west side will reopen, Radke said. “This $10 million project includes new playgrounds, a band shell, new basketball courts, new picnic areas and the return of the historic twin lakes.”
Jim Sallis, head of Active Living Research at the University of California, San Diego, said lists like The Trust for Public Lands bring needed attention to parks and promote physical activity.
Minneapolis came in at the top spot on the trust ranking, followed by New York and a three-way tie for third place with Boston, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Contact reporter Adam Kealoha Causey at acausey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0361.
