Plano has been ranked 17th on The Trust for Public Lands annual ranking in their ParkScore index, an in-depth analysis of city park systems in the nation's 100 largest cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that close-to-home parks are crucial to a community's quality of life. During the coronavirus pandemic, access to the outdoors has taken on a whole new importance. Emerging data confirm that in North Texas, people have turned to parks in record-breaking numbers seeking relief from anxiety, grief and isolation.

At the same time, officials have had to make difficult decisions to close some parks or change the way they are used in a bid to slow the virus' spread; meaning more people have grappled with the challenges of not having easy access to the outdoors. 

A special report, Parks and the Pandemic, from The Trust for Public Land, addresses the challenges and changes that the pandemic poses to America's parks and open spaces. For more information visit tpl.org.

For more stories like this read Natural Awakenings Dallas-Ft Worth magazine at NADallas.com