Crap Towns / Birmingham / Parks
How many parks and playgrounds has Birmingham got?
OS maps 183 public parks and gardens in Birmingham (April 2026): 1.6 per 10,000 people, 36% lower than the typical town's 2.5. There are 268 play spaces, 2.4 per 10,000 people, 60% lower than the typical town's 6.0. 25.5% of its people live more than 400 metres from a park or play space, as the crow flies, 1.6 times the typical town's 15.5%.
| Measure | Here | Typical town |
|---|---|---|
| Public parks and gardens per 10,000 people | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Play spaces per 10,000 people | 2.4 | 6.0 |
| Square metres of public park per person | 8.6 | 4.5 |
| People more than 400 metres from a park or play space | 25.5% | 15.5% |
| Town | Distance | % more than 400 metres from a park |
|---|---|---|
| Pheasey | 9.3 km | 66.2 |
| Solihull | 8.8 km | 62.4 |
| Streetly | 11.3 km | 56.7 |
| Oldbury | 10.6 km | 52.5 |
| Royal Sutton Coldfield | 10.1 km | 52.2 |
| Blackheath | 12.2 km | 46.3 |
| West Bromwich | 10.3 km | 26.7 |
| Birmingham | – | 25.5 |
| Smethwick | 7.6 km | 22.3 |
| Hollywood | 10.2 km | 21.4 |
| Coleshill | 11.6 km | 16.8 |
| The typical town | – | 15.5 |