Crap Towns / Croydon / Parks
How many parks and playgrounds has Croydon got?
OS maps 62 public parks and gardens in Croydon (April 2026): 1.6 per 10,000 people, 36% lower than the typical town's 2.5. There are 84 play spaces, 2.1 per 10,000 people, 65% lower than the typical town's 6.0. 28.5% of its people live more than 400 metres from a park or play space, as the crow flies, 1.8 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 | 2.1 | 6.0 |
| Square metres of public park per person | 15.6 | 4.5 |
| People more than 400 metres from a park or play space | 28.5% | 15.5% |
| Town | Distance | % more than 400 metres from a park |
|---|---|---|
| Banstead | 8.6 km | 54.9 |
| Tadworth and Epsom Downs | 11.0 km | 46.7 |
| Warlingham | 5.4 km | 33.2 |
| Bromley | 9.8 km | 30.7 |
| Croydon | – | 28.5 |
| Caterham | 7.6 km | 24.6 |
| Sutton | 6.3 km | 24.3 |
| Merton | 9.8 km | 17.1 |
| Ewell | 10.9 km | 14.6 |
| Lewisham | 11.3 km | 10.3 |
| Lambeth | 11.2 km | 5.7 |
| The typical town | – | 15.5 |