Atlanta continued its rise through the Trust for Public Land’s (TPL) annual ParkScore rating with a best-ever finish in 21st place, four spots higher than last year’s 25th ranking.
Every year, the national nonprofit releases a ranked list of park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities. The list bolsters local park improvement efforts from municipal governments and park advocates.
“Atlanta is a great example of how parks can bring people together, how we can foster relationships to make these parks a reality and bridge divides,” said Jay Wozniak, TPL’s Georgia Urban Parks program director.
The list annual index ranks park systems based on five factors: access, equity, acreage, investment and amenities.
Wozniak said Atlanta’s ranking is largely due to access. Today, 82 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk from the park – up from 79 percent last year.
Atlanta’s on track for even more parks, soon. In April the Beltline broke ground on a transformation set to turn a long-standing 0.3-acre play lot into an 8-acre recreational hub called Enota Park.
The project has been in the works since the Trust for Public Land’s 2004 Beltline Emerald Necklace Study, where it was envisioned as a “jewel park” for the city. It took years to break ground but is set to be completed in Spring 2026. Once finished, it will connect the historic Westview neighborhood to the Beltline and give even more residents direct park access.
Wozniak said Atlanta does particularly well with parks in underserved areas, and hopes the city will continue to add parks through an “equity lens.” But access is only one piece of Atlanta’s meteoric rise in the park rankings.
In 2016, Atlanta was ranked 51st in the ParkScore index. Nine years later it’s on track to crack the top 20.
“The City of Atlanta continues to invest in parks,” Wozniak said.
The city invests $272 per person on parks, according to TPL. That’s more than double the national average of $133. Investment comes from public and private dollars, though. In September 2024 the Chestnut Family Foundation donated $8 million to the Atlanta Beltline, Inc. to create a “game-changing” municipal bike park on the Westside.
Major nonprofits like Park Pride have also seen historic investments, with the organization announcing $3.9 million in park improvements from public and private sources in early 2024. The funds went to improving 37 parks in Atlanta and DeKalb County.
Today, Wozniak said Atlanta is a “leader in parks access.”
It’s only poised to rank higher next year – if Atlanta’s park system keeps improving. Wozniak said the city has two areas to grow: amenities and unexpected acreage. This year, TPL defined amenities as basketball courts, dog parks, playgrounds, senior and recreational centers, permanent restrooms and splash pads.
“When we continue to invest in these amenities to make sure that we’re providing, you know, important park features to all ages that will allow us to continue to climb,” Wozniak said.
Some future park plans fit Wozniak’s vision. Piedmont Park released its first master plan in 25 years in April, with a focus on new courts and fields, a boardwalk and canopy trail and additional small-scale amenities. Plan leaders said it’s about making the city’s “crown jewel” look like a crown jewel.
The Piedmont Park plan also includes a major expansion on the Northeast side. Wozniak said Atlanta can keep climbing by expanding acreage and adding property to existing parks in the city. He also hopes the city can keep up with “innovative” projects that can help with flooding, like Old Fourth Ward Park.
“I think the city of Atlanta overall looks at how to use underutilized public space,” Wozniak said. “Looking at public spaces in an innovative way, not only reducing or managing flooding or storm water, but making them spaces that are attractive to everyone.”
The Trust for Public Land sees parks as one of the last great unifiers. Alongside the annual ratings list, TPL released research finding that 89 percent of city residents visited a public park at least once during the last year – and the data doesn’t change depending on political affiliation.
TPL specifically listed Atlanta, Fort Worth, Colorado Springs and Chicago as examples of how cities have “invested in parks to help bring people together and strengthen communities.”
Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, TPL’s CEO, said parks are one of the last ideology-free zones in the entire country.
“Parks bring people together and deliver enormous physical and mental health benefits for visitors,” Hauser said. “At a time when so much in our nation seems fractured or polarized, parks may be the last ideology-free zones where everyone can come together, form meaningful relationships and enjoy a few hours of peace and relaxation.”
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