The Trust for Public Land now has Birmingham on its radar as one of 85 major cities where the status of parks is worth tracking. According to Peter Harnik, director of TPL’s Center for Park Excellence, what’s going on now within the city limits of Birmingham makes this a place to watch in terms of park development.

The 2010 report includes lists that rank cities by lots of different criteria, including total acreage in parkland and the number of public swimming pools. With the addition of Railroad Park this fall and Red Mountain Park in a couple of years, we expect to make great strides toward the top as a place where people care about parks and open space.

In the meantime, it’s good to know that our reputation is growing in this important indicator of the quality of life.