Counterpoint: We're No. 3! But the ParkScore Index misleads.
It tries but doesn't accurately quantify inequity, and it leaves out historical context.
By David C. Smith
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The recently released ParkScore Index from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), which shows Minneapolis and St. Paul's national ranking among urban park systems dropping from their usual top spots, is the result in part of a misguided effort to quantify inequity and a surprising lack of understanding of Minneapolis and St. Paul park history ("Fresh data show the disparities in access to parks," June 7).
TPL has attempted to quantify inequity in park access by measuring proximity of different racial, ethnic and economic communities to parks by acreage. That might be a successful indicator in some communities but is inadequate for Minneapolis and St. Paul. It ignores the fundamental distinction between "natural" and "built" park environments or amenities.