{"id":770562,"date":"2026-03-17T07:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=770562"},"modified":"2026-03-17T07:59:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:59:18","slug":"cities-embrace-open-space","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/cities-embrace-open-space","title":{"rendered":"Cities Embrace Green Space to Create Healthier Communities"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[491312,493312,321,237681],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[491252],"esri_blog_department":[478222,492402],"class_list":["post-770562","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-flourishing-cities","tag-open-space","tag-parks","tag-urban-planning","esri-blog-category-flourishing-cities","esri_blog_department-conservation-and-environment","esri_blog_department-urban-planning"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"Cities use GIS to preserve green spaces while enhancing livability and sustainability through data-driven urban planning and park development.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"Parks and other natural settings have become priorities in urban design. Planners say mapping and spatial analysis with GIS technology strengthen their work in park planning and development.\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Cities use GIS to plan and manage their natural assets.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Mapping and analyzing green spaces promotes human health and provides environmental benefits.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>US cities are creating innovative green infrastructure to enhance their communities' livability and economic development.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More people than ever are spending time outdoors\u2014at parks and playgrounds, on shores and lakes, and in other natural settings, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn2.assets-servd.host\/material-civet\/production\/images\/documents\/2024_OutdoorFoundation_Participation_Report-Exec-Summary.pdf?dm=1725384375\">a 2024 report<\/a> from the Outdoor Industry Association.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">City planners across the US are acting with urgency to preserve more open space and strategically make it available for public use. The work is important because the natural areas in urban settings are shrinking as population growth fuels development.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, urbanization isn\u2019t the enemy of open space. It is, however, a compelling reason to become more creative about how we preserve it, brand it, and use it. We can take inspiration from the bold tactics that are transforming scores of communities\u2014and their economies:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Chattanooga, Tennessee, became the nation\u2019s first \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalparkcity.org\/chattanooga\/\">National Park City<\/a>\u201d by reimagining itself as a city in a park. This is the same city that famed newsman Walter Cronkite dubbed \u201cAmerica\u2019s dirtiest city\u201d in 1969, after the US Department of Health reported it was the \u201cworst city in the nation for particulate air pollution.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Irvine, California, climbed up nationwide park system rankings through meticulous data tracking and GIS mapping, raising awareness of its innovative master-planned villages.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Boulder, Colorado, became the first to tax for greenbelt preservation, and residents were rewarded with rising property values and better quality of life.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The work is guided by mapping and spatial analysis\u2014capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS) that supports urban planning in communities around the world.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the same data-driven GIS tools, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/parks-the-great-unifiers-report\">Trust for Public Land<\/a> (TPL) studied access to open space across the US. Its research determined that about 76 percent of residents in the 100 largest US cities live within a 10-minute walk of a park. That leaves more than 30 million US residents\u2014disproportionately people of color and individuals from economically fragile households\u2014without parks close to home.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"<h3><strong>Benefits at a Glance: How Green Space Supports Thriving Cities<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<strong>Boosts public health<\/strong>\r\nTime outdoors reduces stress, improves cardiovascular and immune function, and supports mental wellness.\r\n\r\n<strong>Fosters social connection<\/strong>\r\nParks bring people together across backgrounds, helping to address loneliness and build community.\r\n\r\n<strong>Drives economic development<\/strong>\r\nGreen infrastructure attracts residents and businesses and supports tourism and job creation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Improves resilience<\/strong>\r\nTree canopies and natural areas help manage heat and stormwater, reduce pollution, and maintain biodiversity.\r\n\r\n<strong>Supports strategic growth<\/strong>\r\nPreserving open space guides development toward high-value areas like downtown districts.\r\n\r\n<strong>Promotes equity<\/strong>\r\nPrioritizing access to parks helps marginalized communities that have fewer green spaces.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With better access to nature, communities have a chance to improve mental and physical health and create more opportunities for social interactions.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cParks [and green spaces] can make a significant impact on some of the biggest challenges we are facing,\u201d said Will Klein, director of parks research at the Trust for Public Land. \u201cWe\u2019re facing a loneliness epidemic, and we\u2019re more divided than ever. Parks are one of these places where people from different backgrounds can come together.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Transformation Through the Nation\u2019s Park Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does the work to protect and conserve a community\u2019s green space begin? TPL has created libraries of hyperlocal GIS neighborhood maps and spatial data to guide these efforts. Planners can use the interactive maps, which are enriched with community data, to identify gaps in access to green space. That data helps prioritize new investments in land and infrastructure to address gaps.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/parkscore\">annual ParkScore ranking of park systems<\/a> in America\u2019s 100 most populous cities, TPL offers detailed data on park systems based on acreage, access, amenities, investments, and equity.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cParkScore is a ranking, but it's also essentially an annual research study on park systems across the biggest cities in this country,\u201d Klein said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about having acres, but it matters where they are located.\u201d<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":770565,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the top 100 rankings, TPL\u2019s GIS team has mapped and analyzed 150,000 parks in 14,000 cities, towns, and villages. The local maps and data about core features of those parks are available to the public through an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/parkserve\/about\">online portal called ParkServe<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larger cities are more likely to have GIS tools to assess their own park systems and plan investments. With ParkServe maps and park data, smaller communities gain access to GIS maps and spatial data for planning and investment.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With these resources, planners have a platform for visualizing and designing open spaces within the city\u2019s existing design. Then they can begin looking for ways to better connect green space to popular destinations and city amenities. With careful planning and policy decisions, cities can make connecting with nature a bigger part of daily life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Outdoor Recreation and Green Space Shape Chattanooga\u2019s Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chattanooga is one of the most ecologically rich places in the world. Yet, smog and air pollution made it better known as America\u2019s dirtiest city in the 1970s.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Residents and city leaders recognized its greater potential. They envisioned a city within a park. Their goal was to make nature the center of community life, as it had been for the region\u2019s Indigenous settlers.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The transformation started with data. Chattanooga\u2019s GIS team identified and mapped every parcel of land the city owned. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/chattanoogas-mayor-kelly-maps-americas-first-national-park-city\">Spatial analysis<\/a> helped in finding parcels that could serve multiple purposes\u2014flood management, recreation, and biodiversity protection.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[523772,757312,770264]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One discovery proved particularly valuable: An orphaned parcel that previously had not been identified as city-owned land emerged as the right site for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waldensridgepark.com\/parkplan\">Walden\u2019s Ridge Park<\/a>. Construction of the 200-acre outdoor adventure destination\u2019s trails continues. The park is being developed to host activities such as mountain biking, bouldering, trail running, and hiking\u2014all within a 10-minute drive of downtown Chattanooga.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Chattanooga has a much more flattering designation: America\u2019s first National Park City. The National Park City Foundation recognized Chattanooga with this designation in 2025. Cities earn the title by integrating nature into urban design in ways that improve the well-being of people, wildlife, and the environment.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The results extend beyond recreation. Newcomers and tourists are drawn to Chattanooga\u2019s outdoor adventures. Many stay for a lifestyle enriched by activities such as trout fishing, mountain biking, climbing, trail running, hang gliding, bouldering, and swimming. This outdoor economy has become a magnet for talent and investment.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Who\u2019s Getting Outside\u2014and Who\u2019s Still Left Behind<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<strong>Outdoor participation is at an all-time high. <\/strong>In 2023, 175.8 million Americans\u201457.3 percent of the population ages six and older\u2014engaged in outdoor recreation. That\u2019s an increase of 22.2 million since 2019, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn2.assets-servd.host\/material-civet\/production\/images\/documents\/2024_OutdoorFoundation_Participation_Report-Exec-Summary.pdf?dm=1725384375\">a 2024 report<\/a> from the Outdoor Foundation and Outdoor Industry Association.\r\n\r\n<strong>Women and older adults are spending more time outdoors. <\/strong>In 2023, 51.9 percent of women participated in outdoor recreation, up from 50 percent in 2022, the report said. Participation among adults aged 65 and older rose from 28.8 percent in 2019 to 39.5 percent in 2023, with an 11.5 percent increase in just one year.\r\n\r\n<strong>Participation is growing among underrepresented groups\u2014but access remains unequal. <\/strong>Black (8 percent), Hispanic (11.5 percent), and Pacific Islander (5.4 percent) Americans are increasingly engaging in outdoor activities. Yet these communities are still more likely to live in areas with limited access to parks and green space, underscoring the need for equitable planning and investment.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equally significant, the city\u2019s work to preserve green space has made it easier to push commercial development to strategic areas. Downtown is one of those places, and activity there is expanding Chattanooga\u2019s economy.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019ve had over 1,000 people making $100,000 a year move here recently, which would be the biggest economic news in 20 years if they were all from one company,\u201d said Mayor Tim Kelly. \u201cBut they\u2019re on this long tail\u2014we don\u2019t know who they are, there\u2019s no club, no ID. I can\u2019t go to one CEO and get them all. They\u2019re just here because of all these natural assets we offer.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>In Irvine, Parks Support Good Health<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irvine comes second in the Trust for Public Land\u2019s 2025 ParkScore research, which ranks park systems in the nation\u2019s 100 most populous cities. The city climbed from fourth place in 2024 and seventh in 2020.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that\u2019s not good enough for the city\u2019s leaders. They want to go to the top.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is leading the nation in the ParkScore rankings so important? Because the ranking amplifies Irvine\u2019s story\u2014a testament to more than 60 years of nature-focused planning and development.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a good, accurate depiction of who we are as a city\u2014one that values green space, recreation, and leisure activity,\u201d said Kevin Bodrogi, a senior GIS analyst in Irvine.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[770572,770570,770569]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irvine is a master-planned community comprising 22 villages, each with its own architectural style, schools, and parks. Having records on even the most minute details about each park facility helps the city\u2019s GIS team give ParkScore officials a precise representation of Irvine\u2019s parks and their amenities.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The city\u2019s approach is methodical and comprehensive. Crews capture images and other details about the park system while they are doing work at each site. Other departments can contribute to the database or draw information from it to aid in their work. This integrated approach ensures intentionality\u2014from the number of benches to the types of trees planted in each location.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not just an afterthought,\u201d Bodrogi said. \u201cThere is a concerted effort in Irvine to be number one, and there is a concerted, citywide effort to achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>A New Standard for Livability<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many communities, refinements to land-use policies are as important as preservation of green space. Boulder, Colorado, stands out for <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/department-news\/boulder-county-parks-open-space-50th-anniversary-how-did-we-get-here\/\">its pioneering approach to city planning and conservation<\/a>. Earlier this year, the county in Colorado celebrated 50 years of formal open space planning and preservation.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The city of Boulder was the first in the nation to pass a tax to preserve a greenbelt, laying the groundwork for decades of conservation. The greenbelt now serves multiple purposes\u2014attracting residents and businesses, fostering social connections, and guiding growth in ways that protect ecosystems and enrich the city\u2019s unique sense of place.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[770566,770568,770567,770571]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local officials adopted the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan in 1978, which pushed development to cities and towns and away from rural areas. That strategy protects agricultural lands and prioritizes environmental and natural resources in land-use decisions.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The county\u2019s open space sales and use tax, approved by voters in 1993, provided 0.25 percent for 15 years between 1994 and 2009. Voters approved extending or increasing the tax eight times. The funds allowed the county to increase conserved lands from about 3,500 acres in 1993 to more than 107,000 acres in 2025.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bouldercounty.gov\/open-space\/maps\/\">Mapping and spatial analysis<\/a> are an integral part of protecting, expanding, and designating uses for green space in Boulder County, as well as sharing information with the public. It also helps to ensure equitable access to green spaces in urban development.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the US, innovative urban design is helping communities draw closer to nature. In some places, communities are redefining who they are\u2014more active, health-conscious, social, and economically vibrant and resilient. They see green infrastructure as more than landscaping. It is essential to community well-being. And with the right strategy, it becomes a competitive advantage.<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/urban-community-planning\/overview\">planners use GIS to analyze community needs, strategically design development, and support resilient, sustainable growth<\/a>.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Getting Started<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<strong>Map your city\u2019s natural assets.<\/strong>\u00a0Use GIS to locate and document features like rivers, wetlands, forests, scenic landforms, and agricultural land. These assets can serve multiple purposes\u2014from recreation to flood management.\r\n\r\n<strong>Inventory undeveloped city-owned land.<\/strong>\u00a0Mapping public parcels helps identify opportunities for conservation, recreation, and strategic development.\r\n\r\n<strong>Capture both natural and built environments.<\/strong>\u00a0Create 2D and 3D maps or virtual models to visualize how green space connects with infrastructure, neighborhoods, and downtown districts.\r\n\r\n<strong>Look for multiuse opportunities.<\/strong>\u00a0Use spatial analysis to identify parcels that can support biodiversity, recreation, and climate resilience simultaneously.\r\n\r\n<strong>Connect green space to high-traffic areas.<\/strong>\u00a0Prioritize investments that link natural areas to popular destinations like downtowns, cultural landmarks, and transit corridors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Design for collective impact.<\/strong>\u00a0Use mapping to unify fragmented parcels into larger, more accessible networks of green space that deliver greater value than isolated parks.","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cities Embrace Green Space to Create Healthier Communities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cities use GIS to preserve green spaces while enhancing livability and sustainability through data-driven urban planning and park development.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/cities-embrace-open-space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cities Embrace Green Space to Create Healthier Communities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cities 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