Irvine’s park system hailed as best in California, fourth best in U.S.

Irvine’s more than 11,000 acres of open recreational space were hailed as the best park system in California and one of the top five in the U.S. in an annual survey published Wednesday.

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land ranked the city fourth in their 2023 Parkscore Index. It scores the 100 most populous American cities based on the size and number of parks they have, the variety of amenities they offer, how accessible they are and how fairly distributed those green spaces are distributed across a community.

More than 26% of Irvine is parkland. Those public resources are within a 10-minute walk for 94% of its residents, according to the index. And programming and facilities for people with disabilities makes many inclusive spaces where all can recreate and rejuvenate.

“Our parks and open space are a vital part of our community, bringing people together, allowing us to reconnect with nature, and improving our physical and mental health,” Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan wrote in a statement Wednesday. “As our city grows, we remain dedicated to the preservation of natural open space, parks and trails.”

Communities listed in the top 25 of the index are more likely to be physically active and less likely to report poor mental health, the nonprofit said in its report.

Upcoming improvements include the establishment of Gateway Preserve. That’s a roughly 475-acre development in the northern part of the city that will go up following the closure of the All American Asphalt Plant on Jeffrey Road. An extension of the Jeffrey Open Space Trail to the North Irvine Open Space, two new thematic parks, additional trails for hiking and biking; and a new residential village are among the elements in the works for that project.

The city’s parks as well as many of its residential and commercial areas were planned in partnership with the Irvine Company, a private firm.

“For over 50 years, we have collaborated with the City of Irvine to place parks at the center of everyday life,” Irvine Company Senior Vice President Jeff Davis said. “The Irvine Master Plan created a lifestyle where parks are a short walk from home and connect to the expansive open space preserves we’ve dedicated for public enjoyment.”

Over the past three years, an average of $85,447,542 has been spent annually on the city’s parks, according to the survey. Last year, per capita investment on open spaces averaged about $284 per resident, among the highest of the 100 cities ranked by the Trust for Public Land.

Balloons helped mark the grand-opening of the OC Great Park Sports Park.

(Dave Hansen)