So very thankful for Albuquerque City Parks! We love our park on the west side! I am also so very thankful for all the softball fields in the city and now we see before us the huge improvements have started at Los Altos Park! Here on the west side the park that we go to it is clean and safe…..ponds, ducks, geese and all sorts of birds, picnic area, ball fields, soccer fields, basketball hoops, walking track, just so wonderful. Sharon, Daisy and I love Mariposa Basin Park. I want to thank our City Councilor Cynthia Borrego for working with Park Department Director, my buddy, Dave Stewart and our police to keep the park safe and a great place to go! We also get to see balloons lift off and land on many days at the park. It does make a difference who your City Counselor is. This is just one reason why it breaks my heart so very much that we suffer from such horrific crime in the city……..it puts a very, very huge dent of hell into the city. Crime is hurting many and spoils the beauty of the city. Hearts need to be changed for JESUS. Meanwhile we will soak in JESUS and His creation most every morning at Mariposa! PTL! I also thank all the city workers and volunteers who help keep the park clean! YES! We have volunteers who pick up trash! That is what community is all about!
With July being National Parks and Recreation Month and 7 out of 10 Americans now leaving their homes on an average day thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation, as well as expert commentary.
To highlight the benefits of recreational activities for consumers and economies across the country, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 48 key indicators of recreation-friendliness. For each city, we examined the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities, the quality of parks and the weather.
Recreation in Albuquerque (1=Best; 50=Avg.):
- 5th – Parkland as % of City Area
- 38th – Bike Rental Facilities per Capita
- 17th – % of Population with Walkable Park Access
- 12th – Tennis Courts per Capita
- 11th – Park Playgrounds per Capita
- 40th – Swimming Pools per Capita
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-recreation/5144
More from WalletHub
- Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle
- Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America
- Best & Worst States for Summer Road Trips
- Best Summer Travel Destinations
- Best & Worst Cities for Staycations
Expert Commentary
What are some cost-effective ways for local authorities to improve parks and recreation facilities?
“Public parks can partner with school systems, universities, and recreation businesses (bowling alleys, theaters, skating rinks, etc.) to share facilities. In some parts of the U.S., particularly the upper Midwest, local recreation departments make use of public school ballfields, when not in use by a school, as part of their athletics programs. Recreation businesses often offer lower rates to park-operated after-school programs and summer day camps.”
Wayne Williams, Ph.D. – Emeritus Professor, Appalachian State University
“Taking advantage of local skills and engaging community members with park projects as volunteers happens in many communities. In addition, many cities and towns across the U.S. have “Friends” groups (e.g., “Friends of Nature Park”) that work to a fundraiser and match local volunteer skills with park maintenance and development needs. Developing relationships with local businesses to sponsor recreation centers, ball fields, and sports teams are also common practices to expand funding sources for local parks and recreation facilities and programs.”
Debra Jordan – Professor, East Carolina University
When evaluating the best cities for recreation, what are the top five indicators?
“In no particular order (I think this varies by users) I think accessibility from a few perspectives. One is ensuring all potential users can get to and from the parks and recreation facilities. Another is ensuring parks and recreation facilities provide activities for all potential user groups. A third is ensuring all parks and recreation facilities are accessible to all potential users from an economic or fee perspective. If the specific examples of accessibility count as three of the five, the last two would be quantity and quality. A city/community needs to have sufficient quantity parks and recreation facilities to provide a quality experience for all community members, as well as visitors.”
Jason Draper, Ph.D., CHE – Associate Professor, University of Houston
“Physical (walkable) locations of parks to the people; equitable distribution of resources; staffing who look like the community members in terms of demographics and life experiences; master plans that are living documents; knowledgeable and committed local officials.”
Debra Jordan – Professor, East Carolina University
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Parks and Recreation agencies?
“During the spring, summer, and fall of 2020, ‘Agencies’, such as the National Parks Service and the Parks Division of State DNR’s were frequently overwhelmed by the demand for access by potential users. There were even incidents of demand being so excessive that the park or that particular site was closed because the agency did not have the personnel necessary to effectively regulate appropriate usage. This demand will not lessen as the various states and this country move towards resuming ‘normal’ social behaviors.”
Sally Childs – Emeritus Professor, Lake Superior State University
“During the pandemic, many people seemed to develop a somewhat renewed interest in outdoor spaces for activities such as walking, running, biking, exercising, and getting out of the house to enjoy the outdoors. So, one potential impact is a renewed interest in parks and recreation opportunities. The pandemic also created an increased awareness and need for new protocols for many service industries, including parks and recreation services. But as we learned more about the pandemic outdoor activities were proven to be relatively safe and encouraged.”
Jason Draper, Ph.D., CHE – Associate Professor, University of Houston
