Columbus is ranked 62nd in a new annual report on the nation's top 100 municipal park systems.
The national study by the Trust For Public Land had ranked Columbus 56th last year. The trust says Columbus has only 9 percent of its land dedicated to parks, and says 48 percent of the population lives with a ten-minute walk of a park. The trust says Columbus spends 103 dollars per person on parks, compared with higher ranked cities like Cincinnati, which spends more than 200 dollars per person. The study gives Columbus low marks for basketball hoops, dog parks, playgrounds, restrooms and recreational centers per capita. Cleveland is ranked 37th, up from 45th last year. Cincinnati parks are ranked 7th and Toledo parks are ranked 79th. The rankings are based on park access, acreage, amenities, spending and other factors.