A national survey reveals how green spaces are helping heal a polarized society, according to the latest ParkScore 2025 report.
In a country fractured by political polarization and economic inequality, urban parks have emerged as one of the few places where Americans still meet, talk, and recognize each other. That’s the main finding of the new ParkScore 2025 report, presented at the panel discussion “Top 100 Cities on Urban Parks—Where We Go To Heal,” organized by American Community Media and featuring experts in urban planning, community health, and public management.
The U.S. capital, Washington D.C., once again topped the national ranking of urban parks for the fifth year in a row. But beyond the numbers, the report emphasizes that parks are fulfilling an unexpected yet vital role: they are spaces where social bonds are strengthened and civic life is cultivated.
A ranking with real impact
“The ParkScore index doesn’t just measure green space or investment. It tells us about access, equity, amenities, and the civic role that parks play in a city’s life,” explained Will Klein, Director of Research at Trust for Public Land.
Created in 2012, the index ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities using five key indicators: access, acreage, investment, amenities, and equity in park distribution. The equity measure—recently added—assesses how parks are distributed based on race and income.
According to Klein, the most significant progress is that 76% of residents in these cities now live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared to 68% a decade ago. “That means millions more people have better access to green spaces, especially in urban areas where this kind of infrastructure is scarce,” he noted.
Surveys show a country more united than it seems
For the first time, Trust for Public Land included a national survey to understand how citizens engage with these spaces. The results even surprised the researchers.
“Eighty-three percent of voters—whether they support Trump or Harris—say they feel comfortable in parks and visit them regularly,” Klein stated. “More than half said they had spoken with someone they didn’t know and who belonged to a different socioeconomic background. That’s hard to achieve in other public spaces.”
In cities like Chicago, Douglas Park has become a symbol of reconciliation between African American and Latino communities historically divided by Route 66. “Peace festivals are held in different parts of the park throughout the year. Urban infrastructure is helping overcome very deep social divides,” Klein explained.
Examples of transformation: from devastation to hope
In Atlanta, a catastrophic flood led to the community-driven redesign of a new park. “Today, it’s not just a green space—it’s a key piece of environmental infrastructure,” said Klein. “What’s most powerful is that this park helped foster new civic leaders during its creation.”
Justin Cutler, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation in Atlanta, shared how an unprecedented alliance was formed between the city, public schools, and the water department. “We opened all schoolyards to the public until late, increasing access to nature, reducing costs, and improving urban water quality. This agreement wouldn’t have been possible without political will,” Cutler said.
The impact was immediate: park access in the city increased from 79% to 82% in less than two years.
Los Angeles: the challenge of democratizing urban nature
California’s largest city is facing an alarming decline in equitable access to green spaces. In just five years, Los Angeles fell from 49th to 90th in the ParkScore ranking, according to Trust for Public Land. The reasons are structural: the city’s master park plan hasn’t been updated since 1973—when Tom Bradley was mayor—and public investment in green spaces has stagnated, unlike in other major U.S. cities.
“More than 100 million people in the U.S. don’t have a park nearby—28 million of them are children. In many communities, the park is their only backyard,” warned Guillermo Rodríguez, California State Director at Trust for Public Land. He added that in Los Angeles, the distribution of natural areas reflects inequality: wealthier neighborhoods hold most open spaces, while low-income areas remain underserved.
Still, there are reasons for optimism. Over the past year, the city has funded an ambitious needs assessment that will serve as the basis for a new master park plan. This effort has been driven by grassroots organizations and community leaders pushing for more equitable policies. Additionally, the city is exploring partnerships with the school system to open schoolyards as public parks, as well as collaborations with regional and state agencies.
“The key is to create a permanent funding stream, like Seattle has done through a dedicated levy. Voters in California have already shown they support such initiatives. Los Angeles has a historic opportunity to transform its public space network,” Rodríguez concluded.
The park as a democratic space
The main conclusion of the panel discussion was that parks are no longer just places for rest or recreation: they are, in the words of community urbanism expert Yvette Lopez-Ledesma, “spaces where everyday democracy is born.”
“In such a divided country, parks remain one of the few places where you can see a white child, a Latino child, and a Black child playing together. They are spaces of collective healing,” she said.
As budget cuts loom in many cities, experts are calling for investments in parks to be protected as a civic right. Because, as Klein put it, “parks don’t just improve health or the environment. They teach us how to live together.”