Plenty of quality parks -- along with good weather to enjoy them -- gives these cities the edge when it comes to outdoor enjoyment. San Francisco, which spends the most per capita on parks, ranks first.
"Using research from the nonprofit organization Trust for Public Land, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, we gathered data on parks spending per resident, park land as a percentage of city land, recreation facilities, air quality, precipitation, sunshine and temperature extremes for 40 major cities.
Both Seattle and Jacksonville entered into the top 15, and even cities known for inclement weather, like Minneapolis and Boston, ranked high. Still, it was San Francisco, home to both Frisbee-tossing hippies and endurance-athlete venture capitalists, which ranked first.
Ideal weather conditions--sunshine two-thirds of the year, temperatures that rarely rise above 90 degrees or dip below freezing, and an annual average of just 63 days with precipitation--were major factors. San Francisco also outspent every city on our list, save Seattle, by allocating $252 for parks and recreation expenditures per resident. In return, residents enjoy 5,770 acres of park land, which includes community gardens, public golf courses and miles of shoreline trails."
FULL STORY: America's Best Cities For The Outdoors
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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