MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Minneapolis and St. Paul have the No. 1 and No. 2 best park systems in the nation, according to the Trust for Public Land’s 2016 ParkScore index, which ranks the park systems of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. Last year, the Twin Cities tied for the No. 1 spot, but the tie was broken this year.
The Minneapolis Park Board and the Trust for Public Land will celebrate the remarkable ranking at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Webber Park Natural Swimming Pool.
A city’s ParkScore is based equally on three factors:
Park access: The percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Park size: The city’s median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks.
Facilities and Investment: Park spending per resident with the availability of four popular park amenities -- basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers.