This Orange County city was ranked fourth most "park-friendly" in the nation
An Orange County city is the fourth best place in the United States to take a stroll in the park, according to a recent survey.
Irvine maintained its title as one of America's most park-friendly cities, ranking fourth in the country in an annual ParkScore report compiled by the Trust for Public Land and released Tuesday night.
Irvine's fourth-place finish is the same as last year's ranking looking at municipalities' investments in ensuring public access to open space.
The report noted that 93 percent of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, well above the national average of 76 percent. The report also estimated that Irvine spends $643 per resident on parks, humbling the national average of $124.
"Park leaders are stepping up to promote community connection and address the national epidemic of loneliness and social isolation," Diane Regas, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land, said in a statement.
San Francisco was the only other California city to make the top 10, ranking seventh, the same position as last year.
Santa Clarita, which was ranked 47th nationally last year, slipped to 49th in this year's survey, while Long Beach fell three spots to 61st. Anaheim and Riverside tied for 76th place nationally. Anaheim was 68th last year, while Riverside fell from 75th.
Los Angeles ranked 88th in the country, down from 80th a year ago. The survey determined that Los Angeles spends an average of $108 per resident on park space, up slightly from $106 a year ago. But the percentage of L.A. residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park was only 63%.
Santa Ana ranked 93rd on the survey, down from 90 a year ago.
Washington, D.C., was the top-ranked city in the ParkScore report for the fourth consecutive year. Minneapolis took second place, followed by St. Paul, Minnesota; Irvine; and Arlington, Virginia.
