Chicago makes list of best cities for urban parks

Chicago’s beautiful green spaces have helped it secure a spot on a list of best cities for urban parks.

Trust for Public Land analyzed the 100 largest cities in the country and determined how well each city is meeting the need for parks using mapping technology and demographic data.

With a score of 76.1, Chicago ranks 8th in the annual ParkScore Index.

Parkland makes up 9.9 percent of the city of Chicago, according to the index. The city has 13,547 acres of parks, serving 205 people per park acre.

But in Chicago, there are still 69,319 people who don’t have a park within a 10 minute walk of their home, according to the index. That means they are at an increased risk of stress, depression and heart disease.

Top 10 best cities for urban parks

1. Minneapolis

2. St. Paul

3. Washington, D.C.

4. Arlington, Virginia

5. San Francisco

6. Portland

7. Cincinnati

8. Chicago

9. New York

10. Irvine