On the tenth day of the tenth month, the Trust for Public Land calls attention to a 10-minute goal: for everyone to have access to greenspace within a half mile walk of their house.
The nonprofit recognizes National Walk to a Park Day annually on Oct. 10.
“It's all in an effort to highlight how great it is, and how important it is, for residents and community to be able to walk to a greenspace — whether that greenspace is a schoolyard, a park, a rec center, sometimes just a basketball court and a playground is enough — to walk somewhere where you can be outside, and you can enjoy nature,” Cincinnati Parks Director Jason Barron said.
Parks provide health and environmental benefits, including reducing people’s stress and improving air quality, according to research by North Carolina State University professors.
A vast majority of Cincinnatians can walk to a park in 10 minutes or less. The 2024 Trust for Public Land's ParkScore Rankings showed 88% of residents live within a half-mile of a greenspace.
RELATED: Cincinnati slides down in annual park score rating
Barron says Cincinnati Parks is exploring ways to improve access for the people who have a walk longer than that.
“There are some parks where there might just not be a trailhead or an entrance to the park on one side of the park,” Barron said. “So, someone would have to walk out and around in order to get into that park, and then that gets them outside of that 10 minute [goal]. But there are opportunities to maybe look at where could we put an access point there.”
That could look like building steps on a hillside, or cutting a path through trees to establish new park entrances.
Cincinnati Parks has also been looking at opportunities to build crosswalks and improve streetlights to make access easier for pedestrians.
There are more than 300 parks in Cincinnati, according to the 2024 Trust for Public Land's ParkScore Rankings.
Barron says celebrating them on National Walk to a Park Day is straightforward.
“This is just a great day to kind of love your park and give it a little hug by walking to it and walking around it and enjoying it,” Barron said.
Find a park close to you here.