Parks and Recreation
Partnering with Schools to Expand Parks Access
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is partnering with over 560 schools to provide students access to the outdoors, nature education, and recreational programming.
New Park Breaks Ground Under L.A.’s Sixth Street Viaduct
The park will connect to the Los Angeles River bike path and transit projects coming to the area.
Using Cellphone and Fitness App Data for Park Planning
Data from smartphone apps and fitness trackers are helping planners to better understand park usage patterns and plan for new and improved parks.
Community-Based Organizations Advancing Park Equity
July is Parks and Recreation Month and CBOs should be recognized for the important role they play in supporting parks and recreation in communities across the U.S.
Community Building Through Park Activation
Los Angeles County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program returns for the spring, providing opportunities for residents to come together in safe and welcoming spaces where they can access quality programming and a variety of services.
Los Angeles County Parks Department Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation recently completed a strategic plan which details goals, strategies, and actions that reflect the agency's commitment to advancing equity.
Inspirational Leadership: Interview with Los Angeles County Parks Director
In a recent interview with the National Recreation and Park Association, L.A. County Parks Director Norma Edith García-Gonzalez shared about her career and the equity-focused work being carried out by the L.A. County Parks Department.
Reimagining Conservation to Prioritize Vulnerable Communities
Learn more about Los Angeles County's Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) which focuses on environmental conservation and restoration, regional recreation, and rural recreation.
Advancing Parks and Recreation with Census Data
Census data are used in a variety of ways that impact parks and recreation, including helping to determine where new parks are built and how funds for park projects and recreation programs are distributed.
Outdoor Destinations for the Carless in Los Angeles
Learn about eight L.A. parks that you can reach from Union Station without a car.
Using Cellphone Data to Understand Park Use
A new University of Toronto study analyzes anonymous GPS data from smartphones to track how people use and interact with green spaces.
Public-Private Partnerships Needed to Create More Parks in Downtown Los Angeles
A new report calls for an increase in public-private partnerships (P3s) to help create and enhance parks projects throughout Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA).
How Big Data Informs Park Planning
Data analysis and research by national organizations are helping to ensure equitable distribution and provision of parks and recreational facilities.
The Importance of Restoring Degraded Lands in Los Angeles County
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors just approved the Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which highlights the need for transforming degraded lands such as landfills and oil fields into parks and open spaces, particularly in underserved communities.
New Online Data and Resource Library for Parks and Recreation
The National Recreation and Park Association has created a new virtual library offering a collection of publicly available databases and visualizations for park and recreation professionals and advocates.
Identifying and Addressing Rural Park and Recreation Needs
Rural communities are not homogeneous. Each has its own unique demographics, location, topography, history, park and recreation needs, and community preferences.
Mountain Shuttle Could Be Revived, a Century Later
Close to one hundred years after the last funicular trains took tourists up to dizzying heights in the Angeles National Forest, a new shuttle service could bring the wilderness closer to more Los Angeles residents.
Serving Communities and Advancing Equity Through Parks
Parks are not just for fun and games. They are also centers of community, offering shelter, food, and employment for the most vulnerable.
New Parks Needs Assessment Standards in L.A. County
The report contains data and analyses in support of expanding land conservation and restoration, transit to parks, and other strategies to meet regional and rural needs in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles County Launches New Power of Play Initiative
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and the L.A. County Parks Foundation are partnering on an initiative to build awareness, support and a safety net to provide vulnerable youth and families access to high-quality programming.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
