Omaha tied with Philadelphia and Henderson, Nevada for 19th place out of 75 cities whose parks were studied by the Trust for Public Land.
Abby Martin, Research Coordinator at the Center for City Park Excellence, says the Center’s ultimate goal is for every urban American to live within a half mile or 10 minute walk of a park.
Martin says the 75 cities included on the index were judged on three basic metrics of a successful park system: acreage, the amenities and access.
"We look at the average size of a park, how much of a city area is devoted to parks. We look at how much is spent on parks and recreation. We look at four key recreational amenities: basketball, dog parks, recreation centers and playgrounds. Lastly, we look at the portion of residents within a half mile walk of the park.”
Though Omaha ranked in the top third on the ParkScore Index, Martin says Omaha did drop from its 12th place ranking last year.
She says the drop happened partially because the Trust for Public Land added new cities to the index and partially because they expanded their methodology this year.
Martin says though Omaha is strong on playgrounds, they don’t have as many dog parks, basketball hoops and recreation centers as other cities.