The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) released their Engagement With Parks Report that details national statistics of park engagement and visitation. The report is said to provide insight into the impact of local parks and recreation facilities have on the lives of every person in the country. The NRPA highlighted the importance of parks in saying, "Even during the COVID-19 pandemic or in the midst of local natural disasters, 10,000 park and recreation agencies have been on the front lines of cities', towns' and counties' emergency responses to those challenges."

 

The NRPA suggested that the findings of the report make it clear that people greatly value the programs and services that parks provide to their local communities. A summary of the report found that almost 75 percent of US residents have a local park, playground, or open space within walking distance of their homes. Additionally, about 275 million people throughout the United States visited their local parks or recreational facilities at least once over the past year, which is an increase of 15 million or 5.8 percent from the previous year.

Furthermore, the report revealed that 89 percent of United States adults would like their parks to "reduce the impact of extreme temperatures through the planting of trees and other vegetation." Also, 88 percent of respondents want their local park to be developed and maintained to minimize the impact of flooding.

https://www.nrpa.org/publications-research/research-papers/Engagement/