Description
Parks and barriers to access
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) manages the parks in our city. They’ve worked to ensure parks are accessible to all residents. Parks for All, a comprehensive plan by the MPRB, states that 98% of Minneapolis residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Proximity is only part of the picture. As part of a survey conducted in 2022, Minneapolis residents were asked about barriers that limited their use of MPRB parks and programs. This included:
- Lack of transportation
- Concerns about personal safety
- Lack of information about programs and facilities
- Cost of programs and equipment
- Facilities not suited to their needs
- Language barriers
- Cultural beliefs and restrictions
- Lack of companion – no one to do things with
- Don’t feel welcome by other park users
- Don’t feel welcome by park staff
- Park staff doesn’t look like me
- Facilities are not physically accessible
- Inconvenient hours of operation
- Inconvenient times of programs or activities
Learn more about MPRB's work and progress through the Parks for All Goals Dashboard
What’s happening now
In the Parks for All: MPRB Comprehensive Plan, MPRB committed to fostering belonging and equity.
To do this MPRB is enacting many strategies like:
- Providing a wide variety of programs
- Identifying and removing barriers to park access
- Prioritize youth and seniors in programming and engagement
- Elevating voices of those most impacted by health disparities and environmental injustice
- Embedding accessibility and universal design in park design and programming
Read more about Parks for All: MPRB Comprehensive Plan
At the City, we work to make urban gardening and tree planting more accessible. To learn more, check out: