Equity evaluation procedure.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances § PB17-4
in effectPB17-4. - Equity evaluation procedure.
Each neighborhood park shall receive a criteria-based equity rating to be calculated as follows, except for undeveloped parks, which shall receive a rating according to PB17-5 and PB17-6:
A. Community Characteristics.
1. The City is divided into eighty-seven (87) neighborhoods.
2. Each neighborhood park shall receive a score for each Community Characteristics defined by this section.
3. Areas of Concentrated Poverty.
a. Finding: Individuals who live in poverty are less likely to have access to private transportation which can result in less access to parks and recreation opportunities beyond their neighborhood parks. Residents who live in poverty often have less access to open space and recreation options and are more likely to experience a variety of chronic health problems, some of which are impacted by their physical environment, including access to parks and open space. Additionally, communities of color and areas of poverty often experience a lack of public and private investment relative to other areas.
b. Park staff shall use the latest data and estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to identify Areas of Concentrated Poverty as described in 3c. Park Staff shall provide the Superintendent with the raw data used to make calculations.
c. Census tracts where 40% or more of residents earn less than 185% of the federal poverty threshold and where 50% or more of residents are people of color are considered ACP50 areas and will score 5 points. Census tracts where 40% or more of residents earn less than 185% of the federal poverty threshold are considered Areas of Concentrated Poverty (ACP areas) and will score 3 points.
4. Population Density.
a. Finding: Developed areas with more people can mean many local park users and may also indicate fewer acres of open space, either public or private, for recreation or leisure.
b. Park staff shall calculate the population density per square mile within each neighborhood using the latest data or estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Park Staff shall provide the Superintendent with the raw data used to make calculations.
c. Parks within neighborhoods with a calculated population density in the highest one-fourth (1/4) of all neighborhoods will receive 3 points. Parks with neighborhood density in the second highest one-fourth (1/4) will receive 2 points. Parks with neighborhood density in the third highest one-fourth (1/4) will receive 1 point. Parks with neighborhood density in the lowest one-fourth (1/4) will receive 0 points. The population density thresholds for point values will be updated annually.
5. Youth Population.
a. Finding: Parks and their physical assets provide opportunities for an active lifestyle for households with children. The MPRB strives to serve the youth of Minneapolis through both facilities and programming by ensuring that neighborhoods with large populations of children have well-funded recreation options nearby.
b. Park staff shall calculate the neighborhood youth population using the latest data or estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Park Staff shall provide the Superintendent with the raw data used to make calculations.
c. Park staff shall calculate the number of residents under 18 years old as a percentage of the population. Neighborhoods with a youth population greater than 24% will score 2 points. Neighborhoods with a youth population between 16% and 24% will score 1 point.
6. Neighborhood Safety.
a. Finding: Well-designed and maintained parks create safer places for people to gather and provide a sense of community. Developing and maintaining a vibrant neighborhood park that promotes community safety, both real and perceived, is important to building and sustaining strong neighborhoods.
b. Park staff shall use the most recent Minneapolis Police Department Uniform Crime Program reporting data, for a time period of one (1) year, to calculate the number of crimes against persons per thousand residents for each neighborhood. Park staff shall provide the Superintendent with the raw data used to make calculations.
c. Neighborhoods with more than 10 crimes against persons per thousand residents will score 2 points. Neighborhoods with between 4.1 and 9.99 crimes against persons per thousand residents will score 1 point.
B. Park Asset Characteristics.
1. Each park shall receive a unique Park Asset Characteristic score to be determined as follows:
2. Asset Condition.
a. Finding: Assets need regular inspection and preventative maintenance to identify elements that are unsafe or have now become noncompliant according to changing federal or state code requirements. Assets or facilities that need to close for repair work can displace programs and interrupt service to the community. Therefore, the condition of individual park amenities is a critical factor in determining whether capital funds are necessary for that location.
b. At least yearly, the Superintendent shall direct the park staff from both the local maintenance service area and citywide trade shops to rate each asset within the neighborhood park.
c. When appropriate, the Superintendent may also contract outside experts, including, but not limited to, engineering firms, to rate neighborhood park assets.
d. It is the goal of this section for the Superintendent to direct multiple park staff members or outside experts to rate each park asset.
e. Assets that present a safety concern or could be taken out of service due to deficiencies will score 5 points. Assets that function as a result of numerous and ongoing repairs will score 4 points. Assets that are functional, but could benefit from rehabbing or replacement will score 3 points. Assets that are functional and reliable will score 2 points. Assets that are new or like new will score 1 point.
f. Multiple Asset Condition ratings of individual assets shall be averaged to figure the asset's final Asset Condition rating.
g. The average Asset Condition rating of all of a neighborhood park's assets shall be averaged to figure the park's final Asset Condition score.
3. Asset Lifespan.
a. Finding: Individual park assets have a projected lifespan from the time they are first built. Once the asset exceeds its lifespan, cost for maintenance and repair increases and chances of breakage, injury, or closure of the amenity are much higher. Park assets later in their lifespan need more attention and increased investment to ensure they remain available to the public.
b. Park staff shall use the MPRB's Comprehensive Plan inventory and As-built plans to determine which assets are nearing or beyond the end of their useful lifespans.
c. Each park asset shall receive an Asset Lifespan score.
d. Assets whose lifespan expired more than five years before the current year will score 3 points. Assets whose lifespan expired less than 5 years before the current year or will expire within the next 5 years will score 1 point.
e. The Asset Lifespan scores of all assets of a neighborhood park shall be averaged to determine the park's final Asset Lifespan score.
4. Proportionality of Historic Investment.
a. Finding: Parks where a small proportion of the capital asset value was reinvested in the past 15 years are much more likely to be due for significant reinvestment.
b. Park staff shall use the MPRB's Capital Improvement Plan and projected asset values, to determine the amount of capital invested in a neighborhood park in the past 15 years relative to the total cost to replace all existing park assets.
c. Neighborhood Parks with zero percent (0%) of the total cost to replace existing park assets invested as capital within the past 15 years will score 3 points. Neighborhood Parks with one-tenth to nine and nine-tenths percent (0.1% to 9.9%) of the total cost to replace existing park assets invested as capital within the past 15 years will score 2 points. Neighborhood Parks with ten to twenty-four and nine-tenths percent (10%-24.9%) of the total cost to replace existing park assets invested as capital within the past 15 years will score 1 point.
The Superintendent shall direct park staff to annually produce an ordered ranking of neighborhood parks by combining each park's Community Characteristic and Park Asset Characteristic scores. Such ordered ranking shall be included in the Superintendent's Recommended Budget to the MPRB Board of Commissioners and used to update MPRB's five-year project schedule. The approved projects shall be included in the Annual Report required by PB16-3(G)(2). (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2016-102, § 1, 7-6-16; Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2020-101, § 1, 1-22-20; Ord. No. 2023-101, § 1, 9-20-23)
Source: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PAREBOCOOR_CH17CRBASYCARENEPAPRSCCOCH16--20YENEPAPL_.17-4EQEVPRFetched: 11/1/2026