According to The Trust for Public Land, park investment in the country's largest cities - both in land and funding - has been steadily increasing in the post-COVID era. In 2019, among the 100 most populated cities in the United States, the median park size was 5.0 acres. Today, that figure has risen to 5.4 acres. While this growth may seem modest, it represents a significant expansion in usable green space across urban centers.

Even more impressive is the rise in financial commitment. Municipal spending on park development and improvements jumped from $90 per resident in 2019 to $124 in 2024 - marking a 37.8% increase. The percentage of city land dedicated to parks also grew, climbing from 10.8 percent in 2019 to 11.7 percent in 2025*. These numbers point to a clear trend: cities are investing more heavily in the creation, expansion, and long-term stewardship of green spaces.

 

This presents opportunities for Landscape Architects, as the growing number of parks and park funding can be, in part, accredited to the skilled planning and design that balance environmental function and personal health. The profession is uniquely positioned to ensure that these new investments not only add acreage but also deliver lasting benefits such as cleaner air, improved stormwater management, and access to developed outdoor spaces.

The surge in park development also reinforces the importance of licensure. As cities continue to prioritize instilling health, safety, and wellness standards into the built environment, Practicing Landscape Architects (PLAs) are bringing a standard of care that meets and exceeds this demand. They are improving the wellbeing of the public and ensuring complex projects are executed responsibly. In many ways, the expansion of urban green space is not just a about the numbers, but of Landscape Architects shaping healthier and more resilient communities.


God Bless . . .
Aaron Schmok, Editor

*Anchorage, Alaska, which is about the 75th most populated city in the U.S., contains nearly half of all park space in cities among the 100 most populated cities, which contains roughly 2.1 million acres of park space. Anchorage accounts for 914 thousands of those acres. As such a large outlier, I did not include Anchorage in the numbers above.

As seen in LASN magazine, September 2025.