LA County Parks Needs Assessment Plus

Los Angeles County has a whopping 1 million acres of regional recreation and conservation areas—38% of the County’s total land area. But, the areas are not distributed equally around the County, there’s a lack of public transit to reach the areas, much of the rural parkland does not have amenities such as shaded seating, walking trails, play areas and water-based recreation. And for a County known for beaches, only 1% of the population live within walking distance of an ocean beach, which are not adequately served by public transit. People of color account for 74% of the County’s population but disproportionately live in areas with the greatest environmental burdens such as pollution, groundwater threat, hazardous waste, and poor air quality.

The 2022 Park Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) updates the previous 2016 assessment, to now include mapping and analyses related to population vulnerability, environmental benefits and burdens, and priority areas for environmental conservation, regional recreation and rural recreation.

It’s been dubbed PNA+ because the data-driven, in-depth study includes the traditional methods of acquiring and protecting natural lands, plus methods for identifying priority areas for new recreational facilities and for transforming degraded lands  such as brownfields, landfills and oil fields into open spaces with amenities, especially in vulnerable lower-income communities that face environmental burdens.

The PNA+ will function as the County’s 30X30 plan, in alignment with state and national goals for conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030 to address climate change and protect biodiversity. But LA County’s 30×30 reimagines conservation through an equity lens.

It was developed in collaboration with 11 organizations and agencies on a technical Advisory Committee, including the Wilderness Society, The Nature Conservancy, Prevention Institute and UCLA Institute of the Enviornmental and Sustainability. Plus 19 community-based organizations, including Amigos de los Rios, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Mujeres de la Tierra and United American Indian Involvement. And thousands of LA County residents who completed surveys and participated in workshops and other outreach events in four languages.

“(This) is a milestone for our County because it helps us advance our work to promote health, play and a sense of community,” said LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “It also highlights that rural communities…need more access to waterparks, walking trails and play areas.”

“I am thrilled that we now have a holistic pathway in delivering equity-based park projects,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis. “The PNA+ serves as a national model for park equity and will have a transformative impact in the region.”

Read the full 2022 PNA+ report here.

• 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award Winner 
• 2023 National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) Award in the Planning Initiative category
• 2023 Award of Excellence in the Innovation in Green Community Planning category from the Los Angeles section of the APA
• 2023 APA California Award of Excellence in Resilience and Sustainability
• Winner of 2023 ASLA/LA Merit Award, Planning & Analysis​