San Francisco Parks Rank Among Country's Top 5

San Francisco is home to the fifth best public parks system in the country, according to the Trust for Public Land.

Perhaps even more impressive, 99 percent of the 830,000 people living in San Francisco are within a 10-minute walk to a park.

The ranking is also a reminder of the controversies surrounding the city’s iconic parks.

Residents and some lawmakers are currently battling over legislation that would impose restrictions on the city’s dog-friendly parks and beaches. Hundreds marched with their pups in April to protest against the proposed law. 

The Recreation and Parks department is also in hot water after it rolled out a much-derided pilot program that allows people to pay to reserve premium sections of grass at Dolores Park, one of the city’s most frequented and iconic spots. After intense community backlash, however, the department announced that it would no longer continue with the program after its scheduled July end-date. 

Longtime locals said the plan disadvantages poor communities in the city. 

The Trust for Public Land also ranked Oakland (no. 14) and San Jose parks (No. 31) high on the list for its community access to kid and dog friendly parks. 

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