Crap Towns / Luton / Parks
How many parks and playgrounds has Luton got?
OS maps 38 public parks and gardens in Luton (April 2026): 1.6 per 10,000 people, 36% lower than the typical town's 2.5. There are 72 play spaces, 3.1 per 10,000 people, 48% lower than the typical town's 6.0. 23.8% of its people live more than 400 metres from a park or play space, as the crow flies, 1.5 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 | 3.1 | 6.0 |
| Square metres of public park per person | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| People more than 400 metres from a park or play space | 23.8% | 15.5% |
| Town | Distance | % more than 400 metres from a park |
|---|---|---|
| Ampthill | 15.3 km | 29.1 |
| Luton | – | 23.8 |
| Flitwick | 13.3 km | 19.9 |
| Harpenden | 10.3 km | 19.4 |
| Dunstable | 7.4 km | 16.7 |
| Hitchin | 12.4 km | 16.1 |
| Leighton Buzzard | 16.6 km | 11.9 |
| Hemel Hempstead | 16.1 km | 10.8 |
| Redbourn | 10.7 km | 8.4 |
| Houghton Regis | 6.9 km | 3.6 |
| Stevenage | 16.3 km | 3.1 |
| The typical town | – | 15.5 |