Despite being the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston often flies under the radar. Many people do not realize that the Houston metropolitan region has almost seven million residents, more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other city except New York and Chicago, and it is one of the most diverse large cities in the country, with an outstanding food and arts scene and over 145 languages spoken across its 640 square miles. While Houston is a global leader in energy and healthcare, one area where the city lags behind its peers is parks and open space, underscoring the need for cross-sector collaboration to support development.

Decades ago, landscape architect Kevin Shanley described our city in the most unflattering terms: “Miles of aggressive concrete, uninhabited by any living green thing.” Today, thanks to persistent efforts by many and cross-sector collaboration, the picture is quite different, with new and reimagined parks and greenspace around Bayou City.

It isn’t just anecdotal evidence that shows the growth and improvement of Houston’s park system; real numbers back it up. Houstonians were encouraged to see their park system continue to climb in the ParkScore® rankings by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) in 2024. ParkScore® measures park systems of the largest 100 cities in the United States with metrics that track access to parks, the amount of park space in each city, and how park systems are funded. Up three spots from last year, Houston sits at #68 overall in the United States. Despite these gains, Houston is still ranked below other major Texas cities in ParkScore®, and well below where we would like to be.

What’s keeping Houston from climbing the ranks further? It can largely be attributed to a major challenge: lack of available public funding.

The ‘Bayou City’ holds more park acreage and people than Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio. However, public spending on parks pales in comparison to our counterparts. Houston currently spends $66 per resident on parks, falling behind Dallas ($108 per resident), San Antonio ($127 per resident), and Austin ($181 per resident), according to ParkScore®.

Read the full article about park development in Houston by Beth White at Planetizen.