The trust for Public Land today announced the 2019 ParkScore rankings.

Washington, D.C. has the highest ParkScore among the 100 largest U.S. cities, according to an annual ranking announced today by the Trust for Public Land (TPL).
The rankings combine U.S. Census data with a TPL database of local parks and ESRI's 2018 Demographic forecasts to score cities, towns, and communities on how well they provide needed parks. The TPL website provides much more detail about the methodology of the rankings.
The complete top ten in the ParkScore rankings reads as follows:
- Washington, D.C.
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Arlington, Virginia
- Portland, Oregon
- Irvine, California
- San Francisco, California
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- New York, New York
- Chicago, Illinois
The 2019 rankings only differed slightly from the 2018 rankings, when Minneapolis and St. Paul finished first and second, respectively.
Local media outlets have already been picking up the story. Here's a roundup of what we found on the morning of the new ParkScore rankings' announcement.
- Seattle Scores 11th in Nation for 2019 ParkScore Index (The Urbanist)
- D.C. has the nation’s best park system, study says. Arlington isn’t far behind. (The Washington Post)
- All Boston residents live within roughly half a mile of a park, report says (Curbed Boston)
FULL STORY: 2019 ParkScore rankings

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

How San Diego Camping Ban Could Impact Neighborhoods
An ordinance supported by the city’s mayor would bar people from sleeping on the street near shelters or services, but critics say it will simply push people to other neighborhoods and put them farther away from the supportive services they need.

Expanding Access to Golf in South Los Angeles
L.A. County’s Maggie Hathaway Golf Course getting up to $15 Million from U.S. Open Community Legacy Project to expand access to the sport in South L.A.

Opinion: Failed Housing Bills Could Signal California-Style Housing Crisis in Texas
Legislators in a state that so often touts its policies as the opposite of California’s defeated several bills that would have made housing construction easier, leading to concerns that a constricted housing market may exacerbate the housing crisis.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Bangor
Park City Municipal Corporation
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.