Bridgeport Study Identifies High-Impact Investments to Strengthen Parks Citywide

Bridgeport, Conn. (April 22, 2026) – Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with Connecticut Green Bank, PT Partners, and the City of Bridgeport, today announced the results of a comprehensive custom analysis providing a data-driven roadmap to guide future park investment across the city.

Conducted through TPL’s 10-Minute Walk® Park Equity Accelerator program, the ParkScore and Park Needs Analysis study evaluates the overall performance of Bridgeport’s park system and identifies the parks and neighborhoods where strategic investments can deliver the greatest impact.

“Bridgeport has the foundation of a great park system, with strong access and well-maintained spaces,” said Walker Holmes, Vice President of Mid-Atlantic Region and Connecticut State Director for Trust for Public Land. “This analysis shows where targeted investment can expand opportunity, address inequities, and ensure every resident has access to high-quality parks.”

The analysis found that Bridgeport’s park system performs slightly below average compared to large U.S. cities, earning a ParkScore of 45 out of 100 and trailing peer cities like Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford. The city’s greatest strength is access, with 83% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park—well above the national average. However, this strong proximity does not translate into equal park quality or availability. Bridgeport has smaller parks, fewer amenities, and significantly lower investment than both national benchmarks and Connecticut peers, spending just $54 per person annually on parks and recreation compared to the $133 national median.

The analysis also reveals persistent equity gaps: neighborhoods of color have 42% less park space than white neighborhoods, and low-income communities have 40% less than higher-income areas. Despite these challenges, Bridgeport’s parks are generally in good physical condition, indicating effective stewardship of existing assets. The findings suggest that increased and more targeted investment—particularly in park acreage, amenities, and underserved neighborhoods—could significantly improve the overall system while addressing long-standing disparities.

A central component of the study is a prioritization framework that identifies where investments can deliver the greatest benefits across multiple goals, including improving park conditions, increasing access, addressing climate impacts, and supporting community health. Using this approach, the report highlights several parks—including Pequonnock and Coleman Street, William Barnum Park, Knowlton Park, Wood Park, and Upchurch Park—as top priorities for investment. At the neighborhood level, the analysis identifies the Hollow, East Side, West Side/West End, Enterprise, and Mill Hill as areas where new or improved park resources are most needed.

These areas present the greatest opportunity to expand park access, improve amenities, address climate resilience, and reduce long-standing inequities.

“The City of Bridgeport is excited to launch our ParkScore report, developed with the Trust for Public Land, CT Green Bank, and PT Partners,” said Chadwick Schroeder, Sustainability Manager for the City of Bridgeport. “We are proud to maintain a strong park system and see this report as a tool to guide more equitable investment moving forward. We will continue expanding public-private partnerships, improving amenities across the city, and advancing the waterfront pathway to increase access to green space for residents long excluded from it.”

The Park Needs Analysis also draws on detailed, on-the-ground data collection led by PT Partners, a resident-driven organization rooted in Bridgeport’s communities. Their assessment of 68 parks found that while most spaces are in good condition, many lack the amenities, shade, and programming that make parks inviting places to gather and spend time. This reinforces the need for investments that go beyond maintenance to create more vibrant, usable spaces.

“This opportunity is perfectly aligned with PT Partners’ work on making an equitable environment for all,” said Vanessa Monique Liles, Ph.D., Co-Project Director at PT Partners. “We are excited to use this report to engage in working with the city of Bridgeport and the neighborhood NRZs to move Bridgeport to its fully realized Park City.”

The report underscores that increasing investment will be critical to achieving these goals. Given the limited availability of state funding for parks in Connecticut, it points to the importance of exploring innovative financing strategies and partnerships. Organizations like Connecticut Green Bank can play a key role in aligning park investment with climate resilience goals, while collaborations with healthcare institutions and community organizations can expand programming and unlock new funding opportunities.

“There is a growing body of research that suggests access to parks and nature are community assets for public health, especially in our urban centers,” said Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of Connecticut Green Bank. “Investments in improving park quality and access could reduce chronic illnesses and provide more opportunities for residents to benefit from being outside while also providing the potential to increase resilience from the impacts of climate change within the community. Data-driven reports like this can help support future investment partnerships with and from the healthcare and insurance industries.”

By combining rigorous data analysis with community-informed insights, this report provides Bridgeport with a practical roadmap for the future. It is designed to support city leaders in capital planning, strengthen grant applications, and empower local advocates working to ensure that all residents—regardless of income or neighborhood—can access the full benefits of parks.

TPL and the City are also presenting findings and takeaways from the report at a webinar on May 6^th to continue a conversation about parks benefits, stewardship, park development, and maintenance across Bridgeport’s public green spaces.

About Trust for Public Land  

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, and raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.