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Philadelphia Park Value Report

In a first-of-its-kind report for the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, the Center for City Park Excellence documents the economic value of the parks and park programs of Philadelphia - from the Fairmount Park system to the activities and facilities of the Philadelphia Recreation Department to the broad touristic reach of Independence National Historical Park. Parks provide Philadelphians with so many joys and benefits that many residents would not want to live in the city without them, and there is growing realization that the city's parks are providing hundreds of millions of dollars of value.

This report includes enumerations on the economic value of the city's park system for seven different factors - clean air, clean water, tourism, direct use, health, property value, and community cohesion.  Based on the analysis, in 2007 the park system of Philadelphia provided the city with revenue of $23.3 million, municipal savings of $14.5 million, resident savings of $1.28 billion and a collective increase of resident wealth of $729 million. Read the full report (attached below in pdf) to learn more about the many ways parks contribute to the economic vitality of Philadelphia. (The underlying calculations are also listed below in the pdf link labeled "Supplement: Value Calculators.")

If you are interested in learning more about the Center's economic value studies, or are interested in this for your city, contact our staff.

Learn more about the Philadelphia Parks Alliance.

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FILE ATTACHMENTS:

Philadelphia Park Value Report

Supplement: Value Calculators