Pots, Planters & More, a retailer of high-end indoor and outdoor plant containers, voted New Orleans #1 in their list of “25 Best Cities for Outdoor Space.”
They looked at 100 American cities and ranked their public park spaces based on public park acres per 1,000 residents, walkable park access, yearly spending on parks per resident, median home price, average monthly rent, air quality, and average annual temperature.
The article cites the comeback our city made from hurricanes Katrina and Rita: “The process to rebuild itself included finding more sustainable building techniques while maintaining the character and appeal of the city.”
For the statisticians out there, New Orleans has a high volume of park acres per resident (71 acres), high spending on parks ($156 per resident), good air quality (7.5 out of 10), and an average year-round temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which gave us the high score of 72.6. The article goes on to say, “efforts like these make the Big Easy the greenest city in the country.”
The data was gathered from The Trust for Public Land, Zillow, U.S. Climate Data, and the EPA.
The article also mentions the sweltering summers that are common down here in the south. Having green space is important for climates like ours; it gives us shade and keeps oxygen and moisture circulating in the air. In this way, our green space helps us live an enjoyable lifestyle that works with the environment.
The list includes cities in a variety of climates and environments across the country. North Las Vegas came in at #2, Albuquerque at #3, and Jacksonville at #4.
The full list can be found here.
