Measure what parks
make possible.

USERSHIP: Total annual attendance in recreation programs

Why Is This Important? The City of Portland is committed to affordable, equitable, and inclusive programming. Through free events, discount options, community engagement, and more, Portland Parks and Recreation is ensuring that all Portlanders have meaningful programming and services available. Attendance includes things like free movies or concerts in parks, registered participation in swim classes, camps, and visits to community centers and pools. It does not include general usage of parks or natural areas.

What Do The Numbers Show? Growth in attendance FY 22-25 indicates a return to pre-COVID levels, with minimal opportunities for additional growth.

How Did We Arrive at These Numbers? Growth in attendance for FY 2025-26 is primarily within drop-in activities and continues a recent trend driven in part by increased community marketing efforts, the bureau Access Discount pass, and the recent opening of the remodeled Mt Scott Community Center. Registered activity participation remains near capacity with minimal opportunities for additional growth.

Where Can I Find More Information? Find out more about PP&R programs at: Recreation Activity Guide | Portland.gov

SWIM LESSONS: Number of unique individuals taking swim lessons provided by Portland Parks and Recreation

A strategic goal for Portland Parks & Recreation is that all Portlanders have safe, welcoming places and programs to learn, play, and discover. Access to swim lessons is a life-saving service provided by Portland Parks & Recreation.

The number of individuals taking swim lessons is up slightly from prior year levels, driven in part by the re-opening of the Mt Scott Community Center.

Unique users taking swim lessons is tracked in the bureau's reservation system, called Active Net.

More general information about PP&R pools and swim lessons can be found on the PP&R Swimming Pools and Lessons webpage.

RECREATION ACCESS: Total dollar amount of financial assistance for fee-based programming provided by Portland Parks and Recreation

The City of Portland is committed to affordable, equitable, and inclusive programming. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) believes recreation is for everyone. We know that the price of programs and activities prevents some community members from being able to participate. Providing financial assistance is an action Portland Parks & Recreation takes to ensure that more community members can take advantage of recreation programs and facilities.

There has been an increase in financial assistance provided over the past few years that has remained relatively in proportion to overall participation growth with the return to pre-COVID service levels. This steady trend shifted in FY25-26 with a notable 3% increase of total account holders relying on the Access Discount Program to participate in programs. Thanks to the Parks Local Option Levy (Parks Levy), Portland Parks & Recreation can offer reduced pricing options for people who live within the City of Portland. City of Portland residents can register for an Access Discount to receive an ongoing discount of up to 90%. The discount is valid for 12 months from the date of enrollment. The Access Discount helps to reduce the price of admission to recreation centers and pools, classes, camps, swim lessons, and other registered activities, preschool and after school programs, and personal training.

These numbers are tracked in PP&R's bureau's reservation system called ActiveNet.

City of Portland residents can learn how to get reduced pricing options on recreation programs and facilities at the Access Discount program webpage. For more detail on the Parks Levy and how the Access Discount program is helping to meet Parks Levy commitments to voters, see the Parks Levy Annual Reports . For more information about perceptions related to cost as a barrier see the bureau's Community Needs Survey. PP&R 2024 Community Needs Survey

RESTROOM CARE: Annual hours on park restroom cleaning and care

Surveys indicate restrooms are one of the most important amenities when visiting a park or natural area. The Parks Levy included a commitment to clean and keep public restrooms open. The Parks Levy is a five-year operating levy, approved by Portlanders in 2020, to provide critical funding for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) operations, including enhancing access and equity to recreation and nature; preventing cuts to recreation programs and operational facilities; care for natural areas and the city’s urban forest; and maintaining parks.

The total hours spent on restroom cleaning and care increased between FY 2021-22 and FY 2024-25, driven mostly by increased hours from additional staff for maintenance functions. This metric does not speak to the actual condition of restrooms as it is only focused on estimated hours of effort.

Data is sourced from: PP&R's work order system; Outside contracts for restroom loo cleaning; and, Park Rangers hours spent for bathroom lock up When using the work order system data, an estimate is derived for the time it takes to clean individual restrooms.

For more information, see the Parks Levy Annual Reports .

ADA BARRIERS REMOVED: Percentage of total barriers removed as identified in the Portland Parks & Recreation American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan

A strategic goal for Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) is that parks, natural areas, and facilities are accessible to people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone has access to experience nature, parks, and programs. This metric tracks the progress on PP&R's ADA Transition Plan to address physical barriers is part of physical and programmatic access requirements established by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA barriers for this metric include those in community centers and pools, playgrounds, access paths of travel, restrooms, and parks facility infrastructure.

Consistent year-over-year progress has been made removing ADA barriers across the PP&R system. While progress has been steady, it remains behind the original Transition Plan schedule. This ADA Transition Plan identified 17,008 barriers that need to be addressed. To date, 3,562 identified barriers have been removed, or 21% of the total. In addition to the Transition Plan barriers reflected here, PP&R addresses additional barriers that have emerged at park sites and facilities since the Transition Plan documentation.

During 2013 and 2014, PP&R completed facility evaluations of publicly accessible developed park facilities to identify physical accessibility facility barriers and recommendation modifications needed to meet State and Federal accessibility standards. Undeveloped park facilities and locations without built infrastructure requiring accessibility compliance were not evaluated. Facilities evaluated included: City-owned parks; City-owned community centers and pools; and City-leased facilities with parks programming. The ADA Transition Plan established a baseline inventory of barriers and assigned each barrier a classification, priority category, and likely delivery method. Barrier removal progress is recorded when barriers are remediated. Annual reporting reflects the total number of Transition Plan barriers.

For more information and a link to the bureau's ADA Transition Plan please see: ADA Transition Plan

PARKS LEVEL OF SERVICE: Percentage of population living within 1/2 mile of a park or natural area

Our parks and natural areas provide health and recreation benefits to Portlanders of all ages, helping to make Portland a family-friendly and a livable city. A goal, established in 2020 , and in PP&R's Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland Planning Framework, is for all Portlanders to have access to a park or natural area within 1/2 mile, equivalent to 10 to 15 minute walk, of their household.

Without major funding support, year over year increases are very small and are driven by a combination of new housing development and acquisition and development of new parks - which are currently primarily funded by System Development Charges (SDC) fees. There are discrepancies for access to parks depending on geography. In general, areas that had been part of the City of Portland longest have higher levels of park access. Areas that became part of the City of Portland more recently, have lower levels of park access. District 1 in East Portland has much less park access with only 72% of households having access to a park within 1/2 mile, compared to 86% citywide. View a PDF file with a map of parks and natural area level of service

Using Geographic Information System data technology, housing unit data compiled by Metro is combined with park location, street network, and park access point data to complete this analysis.

More details about Portland Park & Recreation's objective can be found in the April 2022 Level of Service Guidance for Developed Parks and Natural Areas report .

TREE PLANTINGS: Total number of trees planted by Portland Parks and Recreation

Trees are a living part of Portland’s urban infrastructure. Healthy, mature trees provide numerous services that improve our health, environment, economy, and social fabric in a variety of ways. The urban forest contributes to climate resilience by cooling the air, managing water, storing carbon, and supporting healthy ecosystems. Access to trees also improves mental health, strengthens immune systems, reduces crime, and improves student academic performance, among many other benefits. The annual number of trees planted is an important intervention towards reducing inequities in the distribution of tree canopy and achieving citywide canopy goals. This metric tracks the total number of trees planted by Urban Forestry’s’ tree planting program.

Tree planting has been increasing in recent years with support from the Parks Levy, the City’s Tree Planting & Preservation Fund, and the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. Each year, PP&R Urban Forestry partners with community groups, neighbors, and other City bureaus to plant thousands of trees and host tree giveaways in neighborhoods where trees are needed most. Guided by the City’s Tree Planting Strategy , PP&R Urban Forestry uses data to determine where canopy levels are lowest and where tree planting resources can have the biggest impact. Urban Forestry anticipates increasing the number of trees planted annually to 10,000 by 2029.

Trees planted are tracked in detail by PP&R's Urban Forestry division. Data is available showing species and GIS coordinates for every planting.

For more detailed background and maps, please see the PP&R annual tree planting reports at: Tree Canopy and Forest Management | Portland.gov

INVASIVE WEED REMOVAL: Number of acres of invasive species treated annually in parks and natural areas

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) cares for about 8,000 acres of natural areas that keep Portland's air and water clean, support wildlife, and provide unique opportunities for people to experience nature locally. Invasive plants such as non-native blackberry, ivy, and holly can reproduce rapidly and spread quickly. Plants like these take space, nutrients, water, and light from other plants; they degrade ecological diversity and decrease the habitat and scenic value of our shared public spaces. Once these invaders root and spread, it can take years to clean up the habitat, and many more years to re-establish the native plant community. Treating for invasive plants helps native species thrive and supports healthy natural areas for wildlife and people.

The increase in acres treated for invasive weeds comes mainly from a shift in data collection, moving from Ecologist project estimates to field-logged data in Spraymapper, which captures a fuller picture of actual work, including re-treatments. Real growth also played a part, with more certified staff spraying and about $30,000 in added contractor spending. Natural areas work also fluctuates year to year based on conditions and priorities, so some of the change reflects normal variation.

Data shown in the chart is from chemical treatment of invasive plants only. Tracking the number of acres treated chemically is part of the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)'s required reporting as well as compliance with PP&R's Salmon Safe Certification.

See more detail by viewing the Parks Levy Annual Reports or the webpage for Protect the Best , PP&R's invasive vegetation management program for natural areas.