Parks aren't always justified in economic terms, but a new report finds $140 billion reasons why parks are a positive addition to local communities.
Rachel Dovey shares news of a report by the National Recreation and Parks Association quantifying the economic benefit of local parks to the U.S. economy.
According to the report titled "The Economic Impact of Local Parks" [pdf], the nation's city parks generated almost $140 billion in economic activity in 2013. The report, created by researchers from the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, "compared operating impacts and capital spending to come up with 'total impacts,' including economic activity, labor income and employment." The report also includes 21 case studies of a variety of city parks from all over the country.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research