On Oct. 10, communities across the U.S. celebrated National Walk to a Park Day, which recognizes the vital role of parks and aims to bring attention to disparities in park access. Supported by Trust for Public Land, 10 cities from across the U.S. hosted signature events to engage residents and bring attention to the essential roles local parks play in creating strong, healthy communities.
Parks are essential to community health, environmental resilience, social connection and economic growth. However, there is a significant park equity divide in the U.S.: One in three Americans lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home. This includes 28 million children.
National Walk to a Park Day is an opportunity to explore local parks, celebrate the critical role that green spaces play and advocate for increased access across the country.
“Only 63% of Angelenos have a park within a 10-minute walk of home. And many of the parks we do have don’t have an easy access point for people who are walking, biking or rolling,” said Kathleen Johnson, Executive Director at Los Angeles River State Park Partners. “We’re excited to bring together community members on National Walk to a Park Day to raise awareness of how important it is that everyone has access to a quality, accessible park close to home.”
This year, 16 events hosted by TPL partners nationwide engaged residents in their local parks. These events build upon technical assistance and partnership between TPL and cities. From a neighborhood walk in Los Angeles to highlight the need for community voices in securing better, safer access to LA River parks, to a participatory budgeting session in Denver to a lively “Party in the Park” in Cleveland and a family-friendly picnic in Lexington, Ky., these events underscore the importance of connecting people to parks.
“National Walk to a Park Day is an important time to celebrate the parks we love and raise awareness about the park inequities we see across the country,” said Bianca Clarke, Parks Initiative Lead and Associate Vice President, 10-Minute Walk Program, Trust for Public Land. “Too many people lack access to the opportunities and benefits that parks and greenspaces provide.”
Founded in 2017 by TPL, National Walk to a Park Day commemorates the launch of the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, which set the ambitious goal that everyone in the U.S. has access to a high-quality park or green space within a 10-minute walk of home. So far, more than 300 mayors across the country have made the “10-Minute Walk” commitment to strengthen their parks systems and bring the benefits of parks to their communities.