on Sep 12, 2025

The Future of LA’s Parks: A 15-Year Roadmap for Funding, Access, and Growth

“We know parks are valuable assets that have a major return on investment, and the strongest park systems take a multifaceted approach to funding. This PNA offers a roadmap to funding the city’s park system that will help address current needs and improve our parks in the years to come.”

 

HR&A Advisors Managing Partner Connie Chung shared this perspective in the City of Los Angeles’s announcement of the 2025 Park Needs Assessment (PNA). The first comprehensive assessment of the city’s park system in 15 years.

 

Developed alongside OLIN Studio, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and an expert team, the PNA identifies current and future needs across 16,000 acres of public parkland to guide investment and ensure the system reflects Los Angeles’s diverse and growing population. HR&A led an analysis of the Department of Recreation and Parks’ operating budget and funding, benchmarking Los Angeles against peer cities, projecting long-term needs, and evaluating strategies to sustain and strengthen the system.

 

Connie also expanded on these ideas in Torched LA, underscoring the scale of the challenge:

 

“This is a generational, systemic problem — you can’t solve it in five years. How do we make this the roadmap that continues to be fresh and adaptable for 10 years or longer?”

 

As Torched LA highlights, the PNA not only diagnoses the depth of LA’s park crisis but also lays out solutions, from targeting where new parks are most needed, to improving existing ones, to securing sustainable funding. Equitable, high-quality parks are more than amenities; they are critical for public health, community resilience, and reducing inequality across Los Angeles.

The 2025 Park Needs Assessment is a pivotal opportunity to reimagine the city’s park system. By combining community input, data-driven analysis, and long-term funding strategies, it lays the foundation for a more equitable and resilient network of parks that serves all Angelenos for generations to come.

 

The draft PNA is open for public review and comment until October 15, 2025: needs.parks.lacity.gov

 

Explore the Coverage:

LA Park Needs Assessment Draft Proposes Strategies for Improving Parks and Recreation Citywide — OLIN

Confronting LA’s park crisis —   Torched LA

L.A. parks are too vital to suffer such neglect. Here’s your chance to weigh in on a rescue plan — Los Angeles Times

LA seeks input on road map to improve parks and recreation system — Spectrum News 1

LA Seeks Input on Road Map to Improve Parks and Recreation System — mynewsLA

LA seeks input on road map to improve parks and recreation system — The Eastsider