California’s Central Valley Park Systems Rank Low in National Comparisons, Further Investments Needed to Connect Central Valley Communities to the Benefits of the Outdoors

On October 5th, Trust for Public Land (TPL), funders, advocates, and community stakeholders are holding a Park Equity mixer to bring together experts to discuss how we can bring funding opportunities to Stockton parks, pursue progressive land use opportunities, and improve the overall experiences for residents.

As part of TPL's annual release of the ParkScore® rankings, TPL is focusing on efforts and progress being made in California's Central Valley. This summit is designed to create strategies to improve outcomes and secure funding to upgrade the region's parks and increase park equity for everyone.

The ParkScore® index is a national comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the United States. The major Central Valley metros of Stockton (#85), Bakersfield (#89), and Fresno (#98) are all ranked in the bottom half of the 2024 ParkScore Index, and while progress has been made more work and investment is needed to improve the parks and greenspaces in these three cities.

"The Central Valley is the fastest growing, and most rapidly diversifying region in all of California, gaining over 1 million residents in the last decade, but unfortunately investments in the region's parks and outdoor recreational spaces have not kept pace with growth and development," said Guillermo Rodriguez, Vice President Pacific Region, California State Director. "While strong strides have been made with more parks coming online with recent statewide and local funding, much more sustained park investment, like passage of Proposition 4 on the November ballot are needed along with increased local funding for the Central Valley to provide the many health and environmental benefits that parks and open space bring to communities."

California's Central Valley has historically been overlooked and underinvested, especially in terms of connecting more Californians to the outdoors and bolstering environmental health. In a region where nature is seemingly abundant, park investment, park acreage, equity, and access have been lacking compared to other regions of California.

Two of the country's top 10 city park systems are in California-San Francisco (#7) and Irvine (#4)-with both cities dedicating over 20% of their land to parks and the outdoors. However, residents of the three biggest Central Valley cities - Fresno, Stockton, and Bakersfield - live in cities that have historically set aside significantly less park space. Fresno and Stockton have only dedicated about 3% of their city to parks and green space, while Bakersfield is only slightly better at 5.6%. These three Central Valley cities all rank among the bottom ten in the country among big cities on this metric. Comparisons to other California big cities don't fare much better - the other 11 California cities ranked in the ParkScore Index average 14% of land dedicated to parks, and the average among California cities over 150,000 in population is 9.5%.

In 2024, an average of $124 was invested per person nationally to improve local park systems and $110 on average for all California cities. However, the Central Valley cities all lagged in per-person park investment, with Bakersfield averaging $108 invested per person, Fresno averaging $86, and Stockton coming in at $37 invested per person nearly dead last nationally. Recently, Fresno has grown in park investments due to the efforts of Measure P passed by voters in 2018. But clearly, there is still much more investment and work to be done before everybody can benefit from healthy access to open space in California's Central Valley.

Investment in parks is essential, but just as important is access to those parks and green spaces. TPL measures park access by the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park. In the Central Valley, major metros are near the bottom to middle of the pack in providing access, with Stockton leading at 76% of residents living within a 10-minute walk, while Bakersfield and Fresno were below average at 46% and 65%, respectively. Ensuring that all people have access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home and that there's adequate park and green space in all neighborhoods are essential to creating an equitable park system.

In an effort to support local communities and improve park system rankings in the Central Valley, TPL launched its Central Valley Roadmap to work with local governments, partner with community-based organizations and align mission delivery with public and private healthcare providers in the Central Valley to address health disparities where increased outdoor activities can support healthier and more resilient communities.

Currently, TPL is working with the cities and park district leaders in the Central Valley to advance park project investments, including in Stockton, where TPL is partnering with community leaders and health organizations to build a greener and healthier future for all residents. Partners include Reinvent South Stockton Coalition, Dignity Health, and San Joaquin County Public Health Services. TPL's park experts are helping map park locations and identify areas for green space investments and improvements, like schoolyards that can be transformed into green oases that entire neighborhoods can enjoy after school hours.

Over the last three years, TPL has been working with the local community to better understand what residents want in a local green space and engage with local advocates to help change the policies that have kept Stockton as one of the worst-funded cities in terms of park investment. Last year, the TPL team partnered with RSSC - Reinvent South Stockton Coalition - and was awarded a $300K grant from the BUILD Health Challenge. This 3-year program will help implement park activation and allow greater access to mental health services and trauma-informed systems for the Stockton community. Additional partners include Dignity Health and San Joaquin Department of Public Health Services.

Building on this work, TPL has collaborated with and supported local partners to develop park concepts and grant applications that when funded will transform three riverfront spaces into vibrant public parks. Partners include San Joaquin Community Foundation, Delta Sculling Center, Black Urban Farmers Association, Restore the Delta, National Parks Service and the City of Stockton.

In Stockton, TPL has mapped data to assess park inventory, conditions, and needs, and identified neighborhood parks where improvements would bring the highest beneficial impact. Activation of underused existing parks through community events and incremental improvements to amenities will help address some of the community's most pressing needs for recreation. Additionally, pending public grant funding, the city is well positioned to increase much needed park space by developing urban parks with access to the River.

Similarly, in Fresno and Bakersfield, TPL will be collecting geospatial data for analysis of park inventory, conditions and visitation, and for assessment of non-traditional lands for potential park development. TPL will also evaluate conditions of public schoolyards and work with school districts to plan and adopt a comprehensive Green Schoolyards improvement program.

"The San Joaquin Community Foundation is deeply grateful to Trust for Public Land for their commitment to this region and for the partnership in our park equity work in the Stockton community," said Moses Zapien, former CEO of the San Joaquin Community Foundation. "We are proud to work alongside TPL and numerous other organizations to help elevate park access and advocate for bringing more resources to the San Joaquin Valley."

"South Stockton is deep in my soul. I'm thrilled to support the people of my community and work alongside partners like TPL, who are fighting for change and increasing park equity in underserved communities. As change makers we have to understand that the social determinants of health and wellness are factors that play a vital role in learning strategies and solutions to support our marginalized community members," said RC Thompson, Executive Director, Reinvent South Stockton Coalition.

TPL's ParkScore report has significantly influenced community park development in Fresno. Initially ranking last from 2012 to 2015, Fresno's park disparities between North and South, predominantly affecting Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Hmong populations, were highlighted. In response, South Fresno youth formed Parks4All, advocating for equitable park improvements in the city's General Plan. Parks4All continued their efforts with Measure P in 2018, a ballot initiative imposing a sales tax to raise $2 billion for parks and arts. Garnering 52% of the vote, Measure P set a precedent for future citizen-led initiatives and raised $58 million in its first year, ensuring more equitable funding for Fresno's parks in the future.

In June 2018, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 68, the largest investment in park equity in state history. As a result, Bakersfield received over $3 million in 2020 for constructing Linnell-Brahma Park. In 2023, the city was awarded $22 million from the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) program for urban greening and parks.

"These Scores, while not surprising, highlight the critical work that is needed to ensure everyone has access to healthy and safe greenspace. To its credit, the City of Bakersfield has been one of the most affordable and attractive places in California to live, but it is clear from these scores and our recent work to update the Recreation and Parks Master Plan that we have not always prioritized the preservation and access to quality parks. I greatly appreciate the work by TPL to bring attention to this matter and remain optimistic that by strengthening our strategic partnerships, we will begin to make meaningful change for all the communities of the Central Valley for generations to come," said Rick Anthony, Recreation & Parks Director, City of Bakersfield.

"While the current ParkScore results are troubling, I'm energized by the work that is happening in the Central Valley, specifically in Bakersfield and Kern County. Safe, high-quality parks translate to more physical activity, increased fellowship, and overall better health, which is a huge win for everyone. This equity-focused work is critically important, especially for communities of color and people living in rural areas. As the California Racial Equity Commissioner for the Central Valley, I'm grateful for the efforts to expand this work in our region and underscore the calls for additional funding and support," said Traco Matthews, Chief Health Officer of Kern Health Systems and California Racial Equity Commissioner. "We appreciate all the help we can get!"

These efforts are multi-year projects with multiple partners, with all expected to have major impacts for connecting more communities in the Central Valley to the outdoors but more highly targeted work is needed to overcome decades of underinvestment.

While the Central Valley received some funding for parks, outdoor access, and climate change adaptation during years of budget surplus, the current funding situation at the state level means the possibility of new funding in the near future is slim-unless something major changes. Californian Prop 4 is on the ballot in the November election. This critical Proposition tackles our most urgent climate needs today - before the damage becomes too costly. Prop 4 makes urgent investments to prevent devastating wildfires, provide clean, safe drinking water by boosting water supplies, and protecting California's iconic watersheds and landscapes.

In California, TPL has preserved almost half a million acres of open space since the organization's founding in San Francisco in 1972. TPL has created a park or natural area within a 10-minute walk of 1.2 million people and completed more than 900 park projects with over 500,000 acres of parks and greenspace protected or created.

About Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected 4 million acres of public land; created 5,420 parks, trails, 200+ Community Schoolyards projects, and iconic outdoor places; raised $94 billion in public funding for parks and public lands; and brought parks and trails to within a 10-minute walk of home for nearly 9.7 million people. To learn more, visit tpl.org.

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