St. Pete ranks Top in the State for its Parks System

With 137 parks and 7 miles of preserved downtown waterfront, St. Petersburg boasts the third largest urban waterfront park system in North America.

Tampa Bay Business Journal Online

By: Kelsey Sunderland

The city of St. Petersburg has been ranked No. 1 in Florida and No. 15 in the United States by Trust for Public Land, a national not-for-profit with a mission to “create parks and protect land for people.”

Each city was scored in four different categories:

• Acreage – median park size
• Investment – spending per resident
• Amenities – an average of six key park facilities on a per capita basis
• Access – percentage of population living within a 10-minute walk of a public park

“Our parks provide a place for the St. Pete community to get together for recreational activities and for youth to play, learn and explore,” said Mike Jefferis, city of St. Petersburg Leisure Services administrator.

The total list, which consisted of 96 cities, was led by two Minnesota cities and Washington, D.C.

“Our parks, which are as diverse as our people, are part of what make St. Petersburg such a special place,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. “It is why I have expanded our parkland during my time as mayor, and fought to preserve the sanctity of our parks, especially our treasured waterfront.”

St. Pete ranks Top in the State for its Park System