National survey recognizes Pittsburgh’s city parks’ access, improvements and additions

Improvements and additions to Pittsburgh’s parks have resulted in the city moving up in a national ranking.

Pittsburgh rose to 15 in the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore of the country’s 100 most populous cities released in May. The city’s park system of 176 parks encompassing 3,800 acres moved up two places in the 2025 ranking because of park access, park investment and park amenities, according to a trust news release. Ninety-four percent of Pittsburgh residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, well above the national ParkScore city average of 76%.

Pittsburgh also exceeded the national average on all park amenities included in the ParkScore index: basketball hoops, dog parks, playgrounds, recreation and senior centers, sports fields, restrooms and “splashpads.” Finally, the trust noted that Pittsburgh invests $176 per person in its park system, above the national ParkScore average of $133, the release stated.

Washington, D.C., ranked first, followed by Irvine, California; Minneapolis; and Cincinnati. The release said the nonprofit organization’s ranking system is widely considered the gold standard for park evaluation. The complete list is available here.

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy President and CEO Catherine Qureshi said in the release, “Pittsburgh’s rising ParkScore reflects something we see daily — how much our community loves and believes in its parks. This recognition speaks to the generosity and care of Pittsburghers who continue to invest in these spaces, ensuring they remain welcoming, vibrant and accessible for everyone. It’s a proud moment and a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together to support these treasured assets that belong to all of us.”

Pittsburgh has been included in the rankings since 2015 when the trust expanded it to the 75 most populous cities, then grew to the 100 most populous in 2016, according to conservancy director of advancement Alana Wenk. The ranking’s first year in 2012 included the 40 most populous U.S. cities.

Major investments and projects that the conservancy completed or began over the past year included Frick Park’s new sensory outdoor classroom and trail and other specific upgrades and projects, such as those planned for Baxter Park in Homewood and McKinley Park, which crosses Beltzhoover, Bon Air and Knoxville.

Qureshi said the Frick Park additions enable people of all abilities to have access to them, “which was an important development for us.” All the conservancy work included “very significant community engagement,” too.

For example, for the Baxter Park work, “We designed three separate models and invited community at a variety of gatherings to vote on their preferred model,” she explained. “I think that intense engagement is something we do well and are proud of and learn from ourselves from it.”

Construction on that project will begin in a few months. During the gap period, Qureshi said conservancy and park staff will stay active in the park and co-host engagements and activities there, the common operating procedure. They stay involved once these capital projects finish, too, something she is proud of, pointing to upgrades in Hill District and Allegheny Commons parks.

Qureshi said conservancy and city staff – CitiParks, Public Works and more – all contributed to and share in the ranking rise. The leader said the continuity provided by the conservancy’s chief operating office, Ross Chapman, who previously worked for the city, has been great, too. He was the point person for the trust’s review and ranking.

She said the survey is very interactive, with trust staff following up with trust calls. “The Trust for Public Land treats [the rankings] very prescriptively. They want cities to do well. Not only do they follow-up on answers and comments, [but also] here’s how you can do more on it.” 

Pittsburgh’s ParkScore ranking was limited by below-average scores for park acreage. The addition of Hays Woods helped. The reality, though, is Pittsburgh is limited in its amount of parkland.

“Our approach is to maximize the parkland that exists,”  Qureshi said. “Hays Woods added 600 acres of parkland. The conservancy has a nice presence there. Our thrust – be in those spaces. Activate it. Be in the spaces where they are, how they are and make them the best they can be. 

“We may never be No. 1 because of [park acreage]. Truly we are proud of the recognition, but it’s not necessarily how to get to No. 1. We’ll improve organically in partnership with community and city of Pittsburgh.”

The city’s parks are diverse geographically as well as in size. The best response, the conservancy leader said, is “trying to be authentic to what they are and how they use them, and how the community around them feels about them.”

Qureshi said the foundations and donors who fund past and future projects made a difference, too, in the increase. It is something the conservancy will leverage in future grant applications. “People like to see that the investment is recognized. It is something we use as a launch pad,” Qureshi added.  

The trust’s mission is to work “to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors.” As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, it works with communities to create parks and protect public land where needed most, according to the release. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land; created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards and iconic outdoor places; raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands; and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors.

The trust helped the conservancy with its strategic planning effort completed earlier this year. “We are very interested in consulting with experts in the field, and we’re very focused locally,” Qureshi said. “We know how special Pittsburgh is, and we’re always eager to learn about what cities are doing around the country.”

To date, the conservancy has raised $150 million and completed 24 major park improvement projects, according to its website. The conservancy works with thousands of volunteers, hosts hundreds of events and provides programming for more than 7,500 children annually.

A passionate group of neighbors who cared deeply about Pittsburgh’s historic city parks and wanted to see them thrive founded it in December 1996. “As a nonprofit organization, we’re dedicated to restoring and enhancing our parks, working hand in hand with the city of Pittsburgh through a strong public-private partnership,” its website states.

For the next ranking survey, the conservancy will include the Baxter and McKinley parks projects, full activation of the Frick Environmental site’s fully accessible amphitheater, and more.

Qureshi said moving up in the 2025 rankings feels very authentic. She said, “Just to read thoroughly what we did [well] and the challenges that face us, then to genuinely be good stewards of parklands in Pittsburgh [is important]. We’re proud of it and share this prize with city government, our community residents and donor community.”