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The LA Draft Parks Needs Assessment is officially out!

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Over the last eight months, a supergroup team led by the landscape designers at OLIN has attempted to envision an entirely different LA — where public space is a priority. They visited all 489 LA city parks, conducted dozens of outreach meetings with help by TRG, and surveyed thousands of park users. The Draft PNA contains recommendations for how the city can get there along with comments from Angelenos about the future of their parks.

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The 496-page document includes a fascinating history of LA's park system, a breakdown of park use by region, and a rigorous analysis of what's working in peer cities. Most importantly, LA's Park Needs Assessment provides a roadmap for a department that's been asked to do more and more with less: proposing new funding solutions, targeting immediate interventions, and guiding park growth for the next generation or more.

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Over the next 45 days, the needs assessment recommendations will be finalized and presented to the city's parks commissioners for approval. Then advocates and elected officials will need to work together to shape a potential ask to voters, ideally for the November 2026 ballot.

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Read about all the work that has gone into this assessment by OLIN and team, and how crucial recreation and parks are to LA residents.