Nashville continues to fall behind in a national assessment of city parks systems created by the Trust for Public Land. This year, the city dropped from 86 down to 93 on a list of the 100 most populous cities in the United States.
A lack of funding is to blame for Nashville’s low ranking, according to the Trust.
Out of the 100 ParkScore cities across the nation, investment in parks is up by an average of 10 dollars per person. Nashville has gone in the other direction, with per capita investment falling from 52 dollars down to 45. Inflation could make that decrease feel even harsher.
One bright spot in the report: Nashville’s median park size is 16.7 acres, more than triple the national average of 5.4 acres.
Nashville has historically also ranked low in park access, meaning the percentage of residents who live near a dedicated green space. However, Metro Parks says that the assessment’s methodology puts Nashville at a disadvantage due to Davidson County’s large size and growing population. In other words, Nashville’s parks tend to be large, but relatively far away from most people, making them primarily driving destinations.
Last year, Mayor John Cooper responded to Nashville’s ParkScore by joining the Trust for Public Land’s 10 Minute Walk Campaign, reaffirming his goal of ensuring that more that half of Davidson County residents have a park within walking distance. So far, the focus has been on creating more pockets of urban green space, as well as increased funding for greenways and restoration work at Fort Negley.
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