Magazine, Living Well, Guest Opinion / Civic Commentary By Jon Christensen
Los Angeles voters could save our city’s beleaguered park system this November.
Measure PRK, which is on ballots that have already been delivered to residents across the city, would more than double funding for parks without raising taxes by a single penny.
This is an extraordinary, once-in-a-century opportunity for voters to shape the future of their city. The basic funding formula for parks in L.A. has not changed since 1937, when the importance of parks was recognized in the city’s charter, which is essentially its constitution. A small percentage of funding was earmarked then in the city’s budget from property taxes especially for parks and libraries, but the portion for parks has not increased even as the city has grown by leaps and bounds.
In recent years, Los Angeles has dropped to 93rd of America’s 100 largest cities in the Trust for Public Land’s National Park Score ranking because parks have not been adequately funded and because parks are inequitably distributed around the city. Low-income communities of color are much more likely to lack parks than wealthier white neighborhoods.
A citywide park needs assessment last year found that L.A. invests only a third of what similar cities invest in their parks. Large staffing cuts over the past two decades have resulted in parks that are now less safe and clean. Park facilities need almost $3 billion in repairs. Pools, recreation, and senior centers have cut hours. Without action, more may close. And one-third of the city’s residents lack any park within walking distance of their homes.
Measure PRK provides a way out of this mess. It would double the 1937 charter allocation of property taxes from 0.0325% of property values to 0.065%. That is still a small percentage of the city’s budget, but it would make a huge difference for our parks. The budget for parks would increase from $303 million to $995 million a year over ten years.
By 2036, that would provide nearly a billion dollars a year to help Los Angeles climb out of the park basement, keep our parks, waters, and beaches clean; repair and maintain park facilities, including restrooms; keep pools and recreation and senior centers open; build new parks where they’re needed; restore natural areas; and invest in shade trees, wildfire prevention and nature-based solutions to protect our water.
LA’s parks department currently runs over 500 parks, 123 recreation and senior centers, and 52 pools. These are affordable places for kids to play sports and stay safe after-school and in summer, for seniors to find services, and for families to gather. Parks and recreation centers host violence-intervention programs and provide services and shelter during wildfires and emergencies.
Parks are critical services for Angelenos. Parks keep Angelenos healthy, active and connected. Physical inactivity accounts for 12.6% of healthcare costs. Research shows communities investing in parks have lower rates of stroke, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Every $1 spent on park programming lowers healthcare costs by $11.
Parks are also a good investment. Every $1 spent maintaining parks also returns at least $3 in broader economic benefits. Tourism generated $35.1 billion in spending last year in Los Angeles, supporting over 224,000 jobs. Griffith Park and Venice Beach, both city parks, are among our biggest draws.
Measure PRK is a responsible investment in the city’s future. Without raising taxes, Angelenos have a unique opportunity this fall to put a failing park system back on track to thrive, so that all of the city’s residents can benefit from safe, clean, healthy parks in their neighborhoods and across the city.
Jon Christensen is an adjunct assistant professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA.
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