Los Angeles, known for its vibrant neighborhoods and cultural diversity, is facing a challenge when it comes to its park and recreation system.
For many residents, neighborhood parks serve as essential extensions of their homes, reinventing the concept of front and backyards.
However, a recent assessment has exposed the glaring inadequacies of the city’s 500 parks and 100 recreation centers.
In a recent ranking by the Trust for Public Land, L.A. fell to a disappointing 90th place among the 100 largest recreation and parks systems in the nation, indicating problems with access, amenities, investment, and equity.
This record is particularly troubling as Los Angeles prepares to host major events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics.
In response, city officials have launched a months-long study, led by landscape design company OLIN, seeking input from urban planners, community organizations, and thousands of residents about the state of local parks.
The preliminary findings reveal a stark reality that residents face when it comes to community green spaces.
Fewer than half of the survey participants believe there are adequate parks and recreation centers within walking distance of their homes.
Furthermore, only about 40% of respondents rated the condition of parks as excellent or good.
L.A. invests a mere $92 per capita in its parks annually, ranking it lower than many other large cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
The stagnation of the department’s maintenance and operations budget compounds these issues, especially given that the workforce has been reduced significantly over the years.
As the Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager, Jimmy Kim, points out, the city’s investment in parks has increased moderately over the past 15 years but has not kept pace with the overall growth of the city’s budget.
During this period, the department has faced obstacles such as inflation, a budget deficit, and the rising costs tied to maintaining aging facilities, which have accumulated more than $2 billion in deferred maintenance.
In addition, the department is constrained by a City Charter-mandated funding formula that is outdated, having not been adjusted since the 1930s.
Because it operates as a proprietary department, which raises revenue through programs and concessions, it is also burdened with expenses such as utility bills and employee benefits that consume a significant portion of its budget.
Jessica Henson from OLIN emphasized that despite the consistent allocation of a percentage of the city budget to parks over the last century, the department is now expected to do much more with virtually the same resources.
The need for parks to support various public services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the critical role strong parks systems play in community resilience.
In the last column, alternative solutions, such as unlocking L.A. Unified schoolyards, were discussed as a straightforward way to expand park space.
Currently, ten schoolyards have been opened to the public, and a new agreement between the city and the school district aims to open even more, though challenges remain in securing funding and transforming blacktop areas into green spaces.
With a focus on efficiently using resources, the needs assessment utilized the PerSquareMile tool developed by UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, identifying key park sites and potential conversions of underused school and public spaces into parks.
This strategic approach aims to yield maximum benefits for the largest number of residents.
However, Guillermo Rodriguez, from the Trust for Public Land, stresses that substantial transformation requires rigorous financial investment and effective leadership.
He noted that other cities have made significant investments in their parks, while Los Angeles continues to fall behind.
Several potential pathways for generating revenue were identified in the findings, including a charter amendment to increase park funding, enhancing partnerships with non-profits, and extending Proposition K, the park improvement measure set to expire soon.
Rodriguez articulated the long-term issue, stating that the park system has consistently been undervalued and neglected across multiple city administrations, calling for the decisive leadership needed to address these pressing concerns.
The leadership necessary to enact change rests with Mayor Karen Bass and the members of the City Council.
To facilitate community engagement and foster discussion around the future of parks in Los Angeles, public meetings are scheduled.
The first is set for Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bellevue Recreation Center in Silver Lake, followed by another on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Westwood Recreation Center.
Residents are encouraged to participate actively and express their views on the parks’ future.
For more details and to access the needs assessment study, locals can visit the city’s official website at needs.parks.lacity.gov.
image source from：latimes
