ANCHORAGE – Anchorage was one of 12 cities selected to receive $40,000 from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to increase access to high-quality parks within a 10-minute walk from home. The 10-Minute Walk campaign is led by NRPA, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
“We have great parks and great trails right here in Anchorage – and this grant makes it possible for more people to have more access to the spaces that connect us to this magnificent place,” said Mayor Berkowitz.
Thanks to the 224 parks and 250 miles of trails within the Municipality, 74 percent of Anchorage residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. This grant will allow the Municipality to work with partners – Anchorage Parks and Recreation, the Anchorage Park Foundation, the Health on Trails Coalition, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center – to make parks more accessible to Anchorage’s diverse communities, while recognizing the traditional homeland of the Dena’ina people.
“At NRPA we believe everyone deserves a great park,” said Barbara Tulipane, NRPA president and CEO. “That’s why we’re proud to help lead this effort — providing cities with the tools and resources necessary to make the 10-minute walk goal a reality.”
Launched in 2017, the 10-Minute Walk campaign establishes the ambitious goal that everyone in the United States should live within a 10-minute walk (or half-mile) of a high-quality park or green space. Studies show that high-quality parks provide a wide range of benefits, including physical and mental health, economic growth, community building, and environmental education and well-being.
For more information, contact Catherine Kemp at (907) 312-9127.
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