Greensboro Ranks 44th in Nation for its Parks

"Greensboro, NC, (May 20, 2015) – The City of Greensboro has tied for 44th place in the nation with Corpus Christi and Tulsa for its parks system, according to The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index. 2015 is Greensboro’s first year on the ParkScore rankings. Greensboro’s ParkScore was boosted by meeting or exceeding the national median in areas such as park amenities, community recreation centers, neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and dog parks.

“Our spending per resident on parks and recreation in Greensboro is lower than the national median, so we are maximizing our efforts in building better lives and a better community.  And this national ranking validates those efforts,” says Wade Walcutt, interim parks and recreation director. “We have an excellent professional staff, the support of our residents, City Council, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Friends of the Parks and Recreation Foundation. With this support, we know we can and will continue to do even better.”

Greensboro’s Parks and Recreation Department boasts 6,000 acres of parkland, 2,500 water acres, 100 neighborhood parks, 100 tennis courts, 90 miles of trails, 11 community recreation centers, five regional parks – Bryan, Barber, Country, Hester, and Keeley - a cultural arts center in the heart of downtown, and a senior community recreation center recognized by the state as a “Center of Excellence.”

 “You can’t have a great city without parks,” said Adrian Benepe, senior vice president and director of City Park Development for the Trust for Public Land. “Parks provide places for children and adults to be physically active, and they serve as community meeting places where friendships are built and a sense of community is strengthened.”

For more information about ParkScore, visit www.parkscore.tpl.org. "

- A Press Release