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Grand Rapids, MI

79% of Grand Rapids residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Median City, 100 most populous U.S. cities: 74%
Median City, all urban cities and towns in U.S.: 55%

We’re working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

See Our Work in Michigan
Grand Rapids residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park
The average distance most people are willing to walk to reach a destination is 10-minutes or roughly half a mile. The 10-minute walk standard helps us examine the availability of parks close to home.
By Age (%)
Children (0 - 19)
82
Adults (20 - 64)
81
Seniors (65+)
67
By Income (%)
High Income
77
Middle Income
80
Low Income
82
By Race/Ethnicity (%)
Native American*
84
Asian*
62
Black*
83
Hispanic
88
Pacific Islander*
79
White*
75
2 or More Races*
82
Other*
80
*Excludes those who report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).
6% of Grand Rapids’s land is used for parks and recreation.
National median 15%
See the map
Where are the parks most needed?
Grand Rapids has 106 parks.

Trust for Public Land has mapped park access for every urban area in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Our ParkServe® mapping platform helps you pinpoint park investments to address park need, climate, equity, and health.

We’re Helping People Connect with Nature Near You
Parks with Climate Superpowers
Blog
February 16, 2019
Do You Know Your National Scenic Trails?
Blog
February 16, 2019
2023 Year in Review
Blog
February 16, 2019
50 Years, 50 Iconic Projects
Blog
February 16, 2019
ParkServe: Detroit, Michigan
Blog
February 16, 2019
Meet the women making history for parks and open space
Blog
February 16, 2019
The mother-daughter duo making great strides on the North Country Trail
Blog
February 16, 2019
Make the Commitment
Pledge to make parks a priority!
Everyone should have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home. Our 10-Minute Walk™ Program calls on mayors to demonstrate their commitment to parks and adopt long-term, system-wide strategies that accelerate the creation of parks.
10-minute walk link Visit the 10-Minute Walk Program website to learn how your city can get involved.
A statement from Mayor Rosalynn Bliss
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss has pledged to adopt long-term, system-wide strategies to make sure every resident has access to all the benefits parks provide.
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss

Grand Rapids’ Campaign Commitment

By August 2019, Grand Rapids will complete an Acquisition Policy and Funding Strategy incorporating an equity prioritization process to ensure all residents live within a 10-minute walk of a quality park. Acquisitions will be prioritized in the historically underserved areas of Grand Rapids’ Third Ward and Hope Zones to erase disparities in communities of color. To this end, Grand Rapids seeks to increase 10-minute walk access for residents in these target areas in the next 10 years.

Mayor Rosalynn Bliss
Explore the Data
Trust for Public Land maintains the country’s most comprehensive databases on city parks. Check them out to learn more.
  • Park Data Downloads

    Explore our comprehensive ParkServe® dataset which provides park data for over 15,000 cities and towns in the U.S., including park polygons, service areas, priority areas, trails, and playgrounds. Download historic ParkScore® rankings, which compare park systems across the 100 most-populated cities based on access, investment, amenities, acreage, and equity. The Trust for Public Land also offers data tables for city parks, including information on amenities, acreage, staffing, spending, and volunteers.

    Explore Our Downloads

  • ParkScore Rankings

    The ParkScore rating for a city is determined by assigning points across five categories (acreage, investment, amenities, access, and equity) based on how the city compares to the 100 largest U.S. cities. Points are awarded on a relative basis within each category, and a city’s total points, out of a maximum of 500, are normalized to a ParkScore rating of up to 100.

    View 2023 and Historic Data

  • City Park Facts

    Each year, Trust for Public Land compiles data on parks across the nation’s 100 most populous cities, which represent about 20% of the U.S. population. This dataset aggregates park inventories – investment, acreage, and amenities – across all public and private organizations in each city, making it the most comprehensive dataset of its kind. Generate custom datasets using our interactive dashboards, or download the source Excel files.

    Use Our Datasets

  • Build Your Ranking

    This tool allows cities to improve their park systems by exploring and weighting various scenarios related to park access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.

    Explore the Custom Rank Application
ParkServe
ParkServe

Our data reveals park access levels for every urban city and town across the United States and Puerto Rico. This powerful tool provides communities with information they need to help close the park equity gap. Search for another community here.