The numbers are in and the news is fantastic: St. Paul and Minneapolis tied for #1 Best City Parks in America in the latest Trust For Public Land annual ranking of big city parks. Congratulations! However, as Mayor Chris Coleman said at both the press conference and the celebration at Harriet Island, “We will not rest on our laurels.” He noted that other cities are right behind us and we need to continue working and investing in our park system in order to keep the top spot.
The Mayor cited our park system being ranked #1 as a recruitment tool to get businesses and private citizens to invest in and live in our great city. Any way you slice it, parks add economic value and increase livability and quality of life in a community. We celebrate today, but are rolling up our sleeves to keep on working.