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LA launches national model for park equity
The city government is currently conducting a project called “Park Needs Assessment” (PNA), which aims to formulate a park development blueprint for the next 25 years and improve the equity and sustainability of the overall park system.
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Representative Image. / Canva
Plummeting funds and unequal park access caused the national park ranking of Los Angeles to plunge year after year. Jon Christensen, adjunct assistant professor at UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, at a Friday, February 21 Ethnic Media Services briefing discussed the city’s response to its park problem.
A 2024 Trust for Public Land report finds that among the country’s 100 most populous cities, LA ranks 88 for park access, equity, acreage, investment and amenities.
Although Los Angeles has more than 16,000 acres of parks and 92 miles of trails, many small community parks have aging infrastructure and poor maintenance. In areas where green space is scarce, the health and well-being of residents is impacted.
Proposition K, a ballot measure approved by LA voters in 1996 to deliver $25 million a year in park and recreational funding from property taxes, expires in 2026.
The Los Angeles city government is currently conducting a project called “Park Needs Assessment” (PNA), which aims to formulate a park development blueprint for the next 25 years and improve the equity and sustainability of the overall park system.
Jimmy Kim, General Manager, Department of Recreation and Parks said that the project will increase the cleanliness and safety facilities of the park’s restrooms and enhance the park’s function as an emergency shelter.
Jessica Henson, Partner OLIN shared that the PNA plans to hold more than 80 community activities and conduct multi-lingual questionnaires to ensure that more residents from different backgrounds can participate.
OLIN is considering a city council-proposed measure, a citizen-proposed petition campaign and funding plans through philanthropic foundations partnered with local parks.
“Parks are not a luxury, but essential infrastructure protecting public health, by providing opportunities for physical activity, time in nature, social connections and rest while filtering air, removing pollution, buffering noise, cooling temperature, even replenishing groundwater,” said Francisco Romero, program manager at the Prevention Institute.
With the recent devastating fires and previously with the COVID-19 pandemic, parks were some of the first places that were open for people to get out, relieve some of the stress of being sheltered in place or get resources through food, vaccine, air purifier and mutual aid distribution.
Jimmy Kim, general manager of the LA Department of Recreation and Parks said, “During the local fires, we activated our parks for shelter services for displaced people. During the Northridge earthquake, everybody went into parks.”
The city’s parks and recreation department currently faces a $2.1 million backlog in deferred maintenance.
“Parks are our lifeline, and this PNA is like a diagnosis to see how we can generationally invest in ourselves best.”
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