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You are here:   Home → Built Environment → Acres of Urban Parks and Open Space
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Indicator: Acres of Urban Parks and Open Space

Data and Data Discussion provided by King County Benchmark Program

Acres of Urban Park and Open Space Per Thousand Urban Residents

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Land Use Mix --- The data for this indicator was taken from a snapshot study of King County.  
  •   Planned Density --- From 1996-2000 to 2002-2004, residential densities increased in King County. The 2004 density of 6.4 lots per acre for King County as a whole exceeds the benchmark of six lots per acre.  (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   Housing Affordability by City --- Homes prices have increased at a greater rate than incomes over the last two decades, making home ownership less affordable. However, rents have increased at a slower rate, generally in line with median household incomes.  (view data graph)
  •   Prevalence of Overweight & Obese Adults --- The proportion of King County adults who are overweight and obese continues to climb. In 2006, almost one in five adults were obese and more than half were overweight. Nearly nine percent of school age children were overweight.  (view data graph)
  •   Walkability Index --- In 2005, King County finished a major study called “Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health” (which led to the current program HealthScape), that measured how specific land use and transportation actions affect air quality, mobility, congestion, and public health. No trend data are yet available.   (view data graph)
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Related Goals

The availability and quality of parks directly correlate to the livability of communities. The creation and maintenance of parks and open space areas require enlightened land use practices and forethought.

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Sustainability Snapshot:

Urban parks and open space give city dwellers a place to breathe, relax, play, walk their dogs, have picnics, and hold community gatherings. Open spaces provide urban wildlife habitat and drainage for local streams. It would be hard to call a city sustainable if it didn’t have enough open space to meet its citizen’s needs. The National Recreation and Park Association recommends a ratio of 6-10 acres per thousand residents of "Close to Home" park space and a ratio of 15.2 acres per thousand for "Regional Space”.

Sustainability Trend:

Following a dip in the late 1990's, there has been an increase in urban parks and open space acreage per King County resident over the last 10 years.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Change in park/open space acreage per thousand residents.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

King County's population has increased steadily during the last 10 years. From 1996 to 2004, King County has seen almost 8% growth in population. Parks and open space acreage increased 12% over the same time period. However, parks acreage showed a nominal decrease in 1998 and 1999 but has increased annually since then.

Data Source and Limitations

Data provided by King County jurisdictions and the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.  Revisions in reported park acreages may be due to improvements in data tracking.

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