A national study that scores the park systems in America’s 100 largest cities finds that Cleveland is moving up in the ranks.
The city’s parks ranked 37th in this year’s Trust for Public Land study, up eight places from last year. The rankings are based on park access, acreage, amenities and spending.
The group’s Ohio director, Shanelle Smith, says splash pads helped Cleveland improve its score.
“According to our data, Cleveland leads the nation in splash pads. You can see some of those splash pads in parks like Fairview Park on the West Side, or Herman Park, or even on the East side at the Grant Playground,” she said.
She says a low median-park-size hurt Cleveland’s overall score.
The only other Ohio cities on the list are Cincinnati, which scored in the top 10, and Toledo, which ranked 79th.
