PORTLAND, Ore. — Note: An earlier version of this story stated that Portland had the most per-capita spending in the country at $382 per person, or $243 million annually. That information came from The Trust for Public Land. Since this story was originally published, The Trust for Public Land has provided updated information.
Portland is among the highest cities in the country for public park spending nationwide, according to a new report from the Trust for Public Land.
The report says the city invests more than $142 million each year on parks, which shakes out to about $223 per resident to maintain the city's 334 parks. The national median expenditure per resident is $83.
This amount places the city sixth among the nation's largest 100 U.S. cities. First is Minneapolis, which the organization reported spending $266 per person.
"Per capita spending on parks is one of the most powerful pieces of data we have. It demonstrates a city's willingness to invest in parks and green space," said Charlie McCabe, Director of the Center for City Parks Excellence at The Trust for Public Land, in a prepared statement. "For a city like Portland, with its world class parks and growing population, investing in these spaces is incredibly important. Increased investment will allow parks to continue to keep up with increased demand and for them to remain one of the hallmarks that brings visitors and residents to the City of Roses."
Portland's Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, and the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park is the oldest public rose test garden in the country.
Earlier this year, Portland City Council approved a budget that will cut back about $1 million from the Parks and Recreation Bureau.
