Advancing Park Equity in Cleveland

Parks are essential infrastructure for healthy, connected, equitable, empowered communities. And because not everyone has equal access to parks, we’re working to drive change where people need it most.

With support from the JPB Foundation, Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk® campaign is working with more than 300 mayors and city leaders across 48 states to close the park equity gap and address cities’ pressing needs in regard to health, resilience, environmental protection, economic development, and community building through parks.

Our focus is on cities that have historically lacked green space—and so many other kinds of social capital. Among those cities, Cleveland rises toward the top. Trust for Public Land has released research that will help the City of Cleveland prioritize the construction and improvement of parks in the neighborhoods that need them most. The findings also illustrate the economic benefits these additional parks could have for the community.

Our research shows that the following neighborhoods have the highest potential to serve people with parks: West Boulevard, Clark-Fulton, Union-Miles, Kamm’s Corners, and Old Brooklyn. Across these areas, 10,600 individuals (including 2,850 children) don’t currently have easy access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home. Park investments are also expected to produce an estimated $10.1 million in economic benefits over the next 10 years.

Through this detailed, intentional research, we’re able to confidently move forward with the right projects at the right time—making equal access to parks a reality for all.