Austin Makes it to List of Best Cities for Urban Nature Lovers

Eighty percent of Americans live in its urban cities. Who can blame them? Living in the city makes everything within reach. And in spite of the rising living costs, people prefer living in cities where the jobs are, and so are the amazing amenities that make life easier and enjoyable for them.

However, living in the city also has a negative effect on the populace. The air pollution, traffic, noise, and the lack of green, open spaces can truly drain our inner being. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that urban planners are reviving the "Green Revolution" by way of reintroducing parks, spaces, and greenery in the metro for city dwellers to enjoy.

Realtor® compiled a list of "10 Best U.S. Cities for Urban Nature-lovers". Austin makes it to the list, thanks to the wide open parks and scenic views we all love. Realtor® made use of these six criteria in order to find the most "nature-tastic" big cities in the United States:

1. Percentage of parkland in the city area

2. Air quality index

3. Number of plots in community gardens per capita

4. Percentage of homes with their own garden/greenhouse

5. Number of farmers markets per capita

6. Number of farm-to-table restaurants per capita

Austin got the 4th spot in the list, thanks to its 350-acre Zilker Park which includes a botanical garden and adjoins Lady Bird Lake (presenting water sports and recreation). It also has a 10-mile hike and bike trail along the lake's shoreline. The city is also home to many community gardens such as the YWCA project and the Sustainable Food Center, established in the years 1975 and 1993, respectively. Austin may be known as the "live music capital of the world", but there is more to Austin than just hanging out in dark nighclubs. Being included in this list is a kudos for Austinites who have strived in recent decades to merge urban development with green sustainability to achieve a balanced community for residents to enjoy.

Want to know more about the cities that made it to the list? You can access the original article published at Realtor® here.

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