In 2016, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board approved a 20-year plan to address racial inequality in parks and transform the neighborhood parks system. Ten years into the process, officials say they are ahead of schedule.

The 20-Year Neighborhood Parks Plan (NPP20) uses a first-of-its-kind “equity ranking” to target funding toward communities with the greatest need. Advancing racial equity in the parks system is a high priority for the board, which states on its website that “racial equity is when race is no longer a predictor of access to parks and recreation, health, well-being, and quality of life.”

“[Equity is a priority in parks development] because for so long it wasn’t very important and this resulted in disparate service across the system,” MPRB Commissioner Tom Olsen said in an email. “Parks provide many wonderful societal benefits that lift up whole communities. So not only is it just that we invest equitably, but it is the smart thing to do as it improves outcomes for the entire city.”

The equity ranking uses seven quantitative measures focused on racial and economic equity. In the community, it considers concentrated poverty, population density, youth population and crime rates. It also evaluates the condition and lifespan of existing parks, as well as previous capital investments. In 2016, the parks with the highest rankings included Bassett’s Creek Park, 28th Street Tot Lot and Central Gym Park.

All but two of the 34 parks ranked highest in need of support were in North or South Minneapolis.

As of December 2025, 46 parks have completed capital investment projects and 28 recreation centers have received major repairs. Minneapolis has 180 parks total, and NPP20 aims to improve all of them by 2036. A goal the city is on track to meet ahead of schedule.

“Every neighborhood park in the city is on track to receive renovations and improvements,” Olsen said.

One of the largest projects is a $45 million redevelopment of North Commons Park in North Minneapolis. The project is about 35% complete and will rebuild the water park, renovate the community center, construct a 22,000-square-foot indoor fieldhouse and expand public amenities.

When construction began in July 2025, state Rep. Fue Lee, who represents the district, told the Minnesota Star Tribune, “For far too long, north Minneapolis has been forgotten by the state of Minnesota. But not no more.”

The park’s pool was last renovated in 1997.

Across the river, Saint Paul’s Parks and Recreation system plan also emphasizes equity. The plan highlights major demographic shifts, noting that more than 20% of the city’s residents were born outside the United States.

It also describes parks as uniquely democratic spaces and calls for consideration of unhoused residents’ use of park facilities.

“Serving more residents, and more perspectives about the role that parks spaces and programs can play in our lives, presents the City of Saint Paul with a powerful opportunity to serve the community’s evolving social, recreational, and ecological needs into the future,” the plan states.

Although St. Paul did not develop an equity ranking like Minneapolis, its prioritization system favors parks in areas of concentrated poverty, high under-18 populations and historically low investment.

The city’s 40-year comprehensive plan, adopted in 2020 under former Mayor Melvin Carter, states in its Parks, Recreation and Open Space section: “White people are significantly more likely to explore those parts of our park system than are African Americans, African immigrants, Asian Americans, Asian immigrants and Hispanic/Latino/Latina people. As a city, we are obligated to ensure that everyone has access to and feels welcome within our public lands.”

One strategy both cities are using to improve equity is “Greening the Green Line.” Areas along the METRO Green Line have about 10% less green space than the urban core.

Little Mekong Plaza, located on University Avenue in St. Paul, aims to establish an Asian cultural corridor. Owned by the Hmong American Partnership, the city described it in a press release as “reflecting Hmong, Vietnamese, and other ethnic and immigrant communities that live and operate businesses in the area.”

In 2024, a $2.4 million grant from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership helped fund St. Paul’s North End Community Center and a six-acre park. The surrounding area is about three-quarters people of color, but prior to the development, the green space was run-down and considered unsafe.

Both cities have received positive feedback on their efforts. For Olsen, NPP20 is a clear success.

“I think the biggest indicator that this is working is that constituents really don’t reach out to complain about the quality of their parks,” he said. “I have only ever heard that people are satisfied with how their parks have been developed. And if someone reaches out because the lifespan of their park is starting to get old, we are able to point very clearly to when their park will be invested in.”

Anya Armentrout is a freelance journalist, a student at Macalester College and a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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