Cities with the best parks

These five cities dedicate the most land and money per resident to their park systems and the results show, with plenty of green spaces for residents to enjoy, according to the Trust for Public Land.

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Minneapolis

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The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Park land as a % of city area: 15.1%
Spending on parks per resident: $210

"You can't have a great city without a great park system," said Adrian Benepe, senior vice president at the non-profit Trust for Public Land, which recently released its ratings of city park systems.

Minneapolis' parks ranked number one thanks to the services it offers, like its management of community sports leagues, and ease of access for residents.

No matter where a person lives in the city, they are no more than six blocks away from one of the city's 197 parks, said John Erwin, the president of the city's parks and recreation board.

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The city's parks are built around the area's abundant water resources, which includes seven lakes and numerous rivers and streams, said Erwin. The latest planned park involves re-purposing an old industrial area along the Mississippi River.

NEXT: New York

Source: The Trust for Public Land
Ratings were based on three factors: park access, which measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park; park size, which is based on the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks; and services and investment, which combines the number of playgrounds per 10,000 city residents and per capita park spending.

By Les Christie @CNNMoney - Last updated June 13 2013 06:53 AM ET

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