Parks Make Life Better in California, So They Say
Pictured: Balboa Park in San Diego, the 4th most visited park in the U.S. gets 14 million visitors each year, just under 3rd ranked San Diego’s Mission Bay with its 16.5 million visitors.
If you visit nearly any city website in California and drill down to find the city parks and recreation department, you often will see a logo that says “PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER”. California has lots of parks that range from national to state to city operated. For daily activity it’s the city parks that really do make life better. These are the parks that normally feature free parking, easy access from your home, and all the amenities you won’t find in California State Parks or National Parks, such as swings for kids, ball fields, jog trails, dog parks, etc. On May 18, 2013, National Kids to Parks Day is being celebrated as a campaign to get kids out into the local parks for exercise and healthier living. An in-depth study of the nation’s and California’s parks has found that in poorer neighborhoods kids are less inclined to go to a park to get exercise, and also perceive their parks as less safe than wealthier neighborhoods.
The 40 Largest U.S. Cities Were Analyzed and Ranked for Access to Parks — the ability to reach a publicly owned park within a half-mile walk on the road network, unobstructed by freeways, rivers, fences, and other obstacles. San Francisco made the grade as the easiest city in the nation to get to a park. It also happens to be the only major city in California where public transportation for over 90% of residents is just a few blocks from home.
Access to Public Parks
- #1 San Francisco
- #13 Sacramento
- #15 San Diego
- #16 Long Beach
- #17 San Jose
- # 23 Los Angeles
California Cities – Parks Spending Per Resident Annually:
- San Francisco $266
- Irvine $147
- Sacramento $133
- Long Beach $126
- Riverside $122
- San Jose $121
- Bakersfield $112
- San Diego $106
- Anaheim $61
- Fresno $61
- Los Angeles $59
- Santa Ana $40
- Stockton $37
Playgrounds per 10,000 Residents
- Sacramento 4
- Chula Vista, Irvine 3
- San Jose 2.7
- San Diego 1.8
- San Francisco 1.6
- Long Beach 1.5
- Anaheim 1.2
- Los Angeles 1
Percentage of Land Area Designated for Parks
- Fremont 38.2%
- San Francisco 17.9%
- Oakland 16.6%
- San Jose 14.1%
- Los Angeles 13.1%
- Long Beach 9.7%
- Sacramento 8.1%
- Anaheim 2%
- Santa Ana 1.9%
- Stockton 1.7%
