How close are Tri-Citians to public parks? One city has many more parks, higher access

Public parks are essential community components. Research shows proximity to parks improves economies, public health and community engagement, and can lower crime rates.

“Access to nature and the outdoors—close to home, in the cities and communities where people live—is a matter of health, equity, and justice,” states The Trust for Public Land on their website. “That’s why we work alongside communities across the country to create, protect, and steward the nature-rich places that are vital to human well-being.”

TPL is a non-profit group dedicated to increasing community access to parks across the country, and puts out data showing what percentage of residents in U.S. cities live near public parks. Here’s how Tri-Cities does compared to the general population.

Average proximity to parks in US

A park within a 10-minute walk is considered close to home, as the Trust for Public Land says that is the average distance most people are willing to walk in the U.S. This is roughly half a mile.

Using that standard, U.S. cities and towns have a median 55% of residents living near parks.

Looking at only the top 100 most populous cities, the median percentage jumps to 74%.

Maps are available on the non-profit’s website showing park access in every urban area in the U.S.

Tri-Cities’ average proximity to parks

Data is available for all three cities in Tri-Cities.

Richland had the greatest population percentage within a 10-minute walk of a park at 80%. It also had the highest percentage of city land used for parks and recreation purposes, at 10% with 70 parks. The national median is 15% of land used for parks and recreation purposes.

In Pasco, 62% of the population lives within a 10-minute walk of a park. Only 3% of the city’s land is used for parks and recreation, with 34 parks.

In Kennewick, 56% of the population lives within a 10-minute walk of a park. Only 4% of Kennewick’s land is used for parks and recreation, with 39 parks.

In each city, low-income residents had a higher chance of living near a park than high-income residents, and children had a higher chance than seniors 65 and up.

However, this is not the case in West Richland, which has 78% of its population living within a 10-minute walk of a park. Only 1% of its land is used for parks and recreation, with 16 parks. Its low-income residents are nearly 15% less likely to live near parks. Children and seniors have equal chance of living near a park.

This story was originally published June 17, 2024 at 11:47 AM.