Orlando parks have received their highest marks yet on a national survey, but the city still has work to do when it comes to improving accessibility to these spaces.
Orlando ranked 64 out of 100 cities on this year’s ParkScore index conducted by The Trust for Public Land.
The Trust’s Eliza Lawson says Orlando spends more than the national average on its parks which feature amenities like basketball courts and senior centers.
But Lawson said the city needs to work on making sure parks are accessible to every resident, whether that means building new parks, or opening up outdoor school or government spaces as parks. Only 67 percent of residents live 10 minutes from a park.
“So I think, you know, that's kind of the thing that we want to think about with the city is you know, can everybody go out and enjoy sports or picnics or access playgrounds or just a place to relax and enjoy nature?”
Lawson said living nearer to parks can improve a person's mental and physical health.
“So we find that people that spend time outside in nature tend to be less stressed, they're able to focus better. They may have less anxiety," said Lawson. "And that we also find that people that spend time in nature are more physically active and we know that physical activity is good for just maintaining your overall health but also managing chronic disease, maintaining a healthy weight.”
Washington DC continues to rank first in the nation for its parks, which make up 24 percent of the district’s land. Read the full report here.
