East Hartford Celebrates National "Walk to a Park" Day

East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc is joining the Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association, and Urban Land Institute to celebrate the one year anniversary of the “10-Minute Walk Campaign” to highlight the importance of parks and public green spaces that play an instrumental role in the quality of life in the Town of East Hartford. 

Mayor Leclerc has partnered with more than 200 mayors across the country to support the ambitious goal that everyone, including East Hartford residents, should live within a 10-minute walk (or half-mile) of a high-quality park or green space.

 “We take outdoor recreation very seriously in East Hartford and I cannot think of a better way to show my support for parks and green space,” said Mayor Leclerc. “I am proud to say that East Hartford has over 760 acres of parks, open space and playfields along with additional recreational space.”

These 760 acres include 15 parks, 19 basketball courts, four miles of trails as well as multiple playgrounds, fields and open space.

Mayor Leclerc encourages everyone to walk to the nearest park today to promote and appreciate the benefits of parks and open space.  Studies show that high-quality parks provide a wide range of benefits to people living in urban areas and cities. These include physical and mental health benefits, by providing opportunities to be physically active and to interact with nature. Additionally, there are economic benefits by boosting business and helping to revitalize neighborhoods as well as community-building benefits by providing opportunities for neighbors to interact with each other and work together to improve their surroundings. Finally, there are also environmental benefits by cleaning and cooling the air, improving climate resilience, and providing opportunities for environmental education.

The 10-minute walk to a park campaign is a part of a multi-year partnership with cities and mayors across the country. Launched one year ago, the campaign—a partnership between The Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association and Urban Land Institute has grown to now include more than 200 bipartisan mayors across the country who are working to advance equitable park access, from updating city master plans to pursuing ballot measures to ensure dedicated funding for parks and open space.

For more information about East Hartford’s parks and open space visit East Hartford Parks and Recreation webpage.