Project Highlight

Community Parks and

Recreation Plans in
Los Angeles County
Six unincorporated communities located within a highly urbanized area of Los Angeles County are the focus
of the Community Parks and Recreation Plans: East Los Angeles, Each Rancho Dominguez, Lennox, Walnut
Park, West Athens-Westmont, and Willowbrook. Located within the urban core of Los Angeles County, all six
communities are primarily residential communities with commercial uses along major corridors. Because of their
established community identities, generally well-defined boundaries, and unique histories, they have remained
unincorporated, rather than become parts of adjacent cities. Prior analysis by the County indicates that the
six communities are substantially underserved by parks and recreational facilities. Also, they are generally
characterized by relatively low income, high levels of crime, and childhood obesity.

The Project combined with input from the public involvement

process, informs a detailed assessment and
The Community Parks and Recreation Plans analyze
prioritization of local park and recreation needs.
and address the unique park, recreation, and urban
The needs assessment in turn informs a green space
greening needs in each of the six communities. Each
vision, design concepts for potential new urban
plan starts with examination of local demographics,
park and trail projects, and strategies to address the
existing parkland and recreational facilities, parkland
identified needs. Implementation is also addressed,
gaps, current recreation programs, trees and tree
including partnership and funding opportunities and
canopies in existing parks, transportation and
detailed next steps for actualizing the green space
connectivity to parks, and availability of land for
vision and strategies.
recreational purposes. This baseline information,

Left to right: New

park development
implementing
the community’s
sustainability ideas
is already underway,
including this park in
Willowbrook. County
Analysis identified the
six communities as
Park Need by Study Area highly underserved by
parks and recreational
Very Low Moderate Very High
facilities. Source:
Low High Not Participating County of Los Angeles

28 Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County

The plans are intended to make all six communities more sustainable by
creating additional parks, green spaces, and recreational amenities for
residents. Implementing the plans will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by significantly increasing the number of residents who can walk,
bicycle, and take transit to parks, and incorporating alternative energy
production facilities, green building practices, and improved water
efficiency in irrigation equipment, low-water plants, and recycled water
for irrigation. Another focus of the plans is carbon sequestration from
tree planting at existing and future parks, trails, and other community Source: County of Los Angeles

places. All of these improvements will increase the quality of life and
health in the six communities, which in turn will advance economic and
Locally-Driven Solutions
social sustainability.
ee Better use of existing public
The community process for the six Community Parks and Recreation facilities, such as a “park
Plans was so successful that the County Departnment of Parks and plaza” in unused space
Recreation applied a similar approach countywide. The 2016 Los next to an existing library,
Angeles Countywide Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Needs including exercise equipment
Assessment represents a historic undertaking to engage all communities and outdoor seating for
in Los Angeles County in a collaborative process for future decision- reading books.
making on parks and recreation. Five metrics for community park
needs were quantified for 189 study areas. The massive community ee Creative sites for new park
engagement program incorporated traditional methods and social spaces close to residents,
media, including workshops conducted by parks departments and including several that are
community-based organizations, resulting in identification of priority currently being acquired by
projects and cost estimates. In the November 2016 election, a new the County.
funding mechanism for park improvements was passed by voters in
ee Coordination with local
the form of a new parcel tax, as part of the Safe, Clean Neighborhood
water and power providers
Parks, Open Space, Beaches, Rivers Protection and Water Conservation
for creating parks and trails
Measure (Measure A). This new funding, which has special provisions
within utility corridors.
for high need communities, can be tapped for projects identified in the
Community Parks and Recreation Plans for East Los Angeles, Each
Rancho Dominguez, Lennox, Walnut Park, West Athens-Westmont, and
Willowbrook.

Local/Regional Connection

The six Community Parks and Recreation Plans represent unique

solutions for actualizing sustainability objectives in the two primary
regional frameworks: the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/
Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) for the Southern California
Association of Governments region and the Unincorporated Los
Angeles County Community Climate Action Plan 2020 (CCAC). The RTP/
SCS advances a vision where many communities are more compact,
seamlessly served by numerous public transit options, people live

29
 closer to daily destinations and live more active and Health and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust)
healthier lifestyles, and economies grow. Similarly, the and development of the six plans. For example, the
CCAC greenhouse gas reduction approach focuses community input received during development of the
on transportation and compatible six plans helped the Department
compact development, but it also of Public Health to secure grant
establishes strategies related to water “While some may think funding to prepare pedestrian plans
conservation, green building and in West Athens-Westmont and
of recreation as ‘fun and
energy, and land conservation and Walnut Park.
tree planting. games’...opportunities
for recreation and Effective Community
Agency Collaboration for Action Engagement
physical activity help
Collaboration between the County address a variety of Community involvement was at the
Department of Parks and Recreation heart of the planning process – the
problems faced by these
and the Regional Planning, six plans were formulated “from
Public Health, and Public Works communities, such as the ground up.” The customized
departments resulted in very positive high levels of obesity process for each community was
outcomes during formulation of based on the project goals, as well
and related diseases,
the plans. Most of the interaction as an understanding of the particular
took place as part of the County’s gang violence, and issues in the community. In each
Healthy Design Workgroup. The staff stress related to finances of the six communities, the County
across the four departments became Department of Parks and Recreation
and the economy.”
better acquainted with each other’s partnered with local community-
projects, and together they identified -Clement Lau, based non-profit organizations,
Departmental Facilities including the Los Angeles
opportunities to complement and
Planner
support each other’s efforts. Neighborhood Land Trust and From
Lot to Spot, to engage community
One example of this collaboration is their partnership members in discussions about vision, needs, priorities,
on community engagement, as described under implementation ideas, and partnership opportunities.
Effective Community Engagement below. Another Methods included stakeholder interviews, focus
example is cross-pollination between a study of groups, questionnaires/surveys, community
health and safety in public spaces in three of the workshops, design workshops, tabling events,
communities (completed by the Department of Public community tours, and youth programs. The use of

Community members of all ages provided

input on ideas and priorities, as a result
of the County’s many engagement
activities. Source: County of Los Angeles

30 Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County

multiple methods helped to
increase the number and
diversity of participants.

Meeting fatigue among many

community members was
recognized by the project
team, and extra effort
was paid to maintaining
engagement. Tactics
included partnering with
other County departments
on outreach activities
addressing multiple projects,
such as at the Willowbrook
Recreation, walking, neighborhood connections, urban forestry, health, water efficiency, and
Community Fair. The project community culture are integrated into the park plans, as shown in this Walnut Park illustration.
team also proactively Source: County of Los Angeles
addressed concerns about
planning discussions not Sustainability Benefits for California
leading to tangible outcomes by keeping community
members apprised about potential Measure A funding Implementation of the Community Park and Recreation
opportunities for implementation. Plans will help to advance many of California’s
sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of:
ee Equity
ee Public health
ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption
ee Water conservation
ee Energy conservation and efficiency
ee Revitalized urban and community center

For More Information

Name: Clement Lau, AICP, Departmental Facilities Planner

Agency: Department of Parks and Recreation, County of Los Angeles

Telephone: 213-351-5117

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://goo.gl/N7lb6o
Sustainability benefits are quantified in each plan. Source: County
of Los Angeles

Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California 31