Los Angeles River Master Plan Update

448 S. Hill St. 5900 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1008 Suite 401 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Los Angeles, CA 90036 310.957.6100 323.387.3598 www.geosyntec.com www.theolinstudio.com PROGRESS MEMORANDUM TO: Carolina Hernandez, P.E., Los Angeles County Public Works PROJECT: Los Angeles River Master Plan Update TASK NUMBER: 3.6 SUBJECT: Existing Open Space, Recreation, and Trails SUBMITTED BY: Jessica M. Henson, RLA, ASLA, OLIN Mark Hanna, Ph.D., P.E., Geosyntec Andrew Dobshinsky, AICP CUD, OLIN Michael Miller, RLA, ASLA, OLIN Nate Wooten, RA, AIA, ASLA, OLIN DATE: 19 November 2018 MEMO NUMBER: 3.6-4 The following Progress Memorandum summarizes the findings for the Los Angeles River Master Plan Update Task 3.6 related to existing open space, recreation, and trails. Executive Summary Existing open space along the Los Angeles River corridor is fragmented and limited in quantity relative to overall population and population density. Twelve of fourteen communities directly adjacent to the river corridor do not meet LA County’s adopted goal of 4 acres of local parkland per 1000 people. Furthermore, twelve of seventeen cities within a mile of the river do not meet the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum of 2.22 acres per 1000 people. Many of the municipalities within a mile of the river also have goals for park space that are higher than the overall LA County goals. In addition to the lack of overall open space, several areas along the river lack a mix of park sizes and amenities. Several stretches of the river corridor do not have access to regional parks. In many neighborhoods, open space near the river is difficult to access due to obstructions such as freeways, elevation changes, infrastructural easements, or lack of connectivity across the river corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists. The LA County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) completed a Comprehensive Park Needs Assessment in 2016 that catalogs park amenities as well as walkability to parks. These maps are instructive as they demonstrate a lack of walkable access to local parks along the LA River corridor. DPR works with numerous city parks and recreation departments, but primarily provides park and recreation opportunities that serve the unincorporated communities of the County through the development of new parks and trails and by updating existing facilities. Since most of the river corridor Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 2 is within incorporated cities, DPR has had less direct control over open space access and amenities adjacent to the river. Remedying the above findings will require creative collaboration with communities along the river or use of land already owned by LA County. DPR is also responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of multi-use trails. DPR works across jurisdictions toward a goal of developing a regional network of connected multi-use trails for use by cyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians, among other users. DPR currently operates and maintains over 200 miles of multi-use trails throughout LA County including 9 miles along the LA River. DPR has also identified an additional 690 miles of proposed trails throughout the region, including 16 additional miles along the LA River. Having equitable, safe, inclusive, connective, and accessible parks is critical for public health and social equity. Current research by scholars such as Dr. Richard Jackson of the University of California at Los Angeles and Dr. William Sullivan of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign indicates a relationship between parks and health.1,2,3 Increasing overall acres of park land and access to parks can positively benefit communities by reducing rates of preventable diseases such as diabetes and obesity. To identify a potential connective framework for the park system along the LA River, existing trails and parks as well as the existing network of utility and infrastructure rights of way that weaves across LA County and the LA River were mapped (See Appendix p. 37). These rights of way may offer opportunities for future open space connections. Parks and trails were mapped using data from the following sources: • LA County DPR Countywide Parks and Open Space (2015) • LA County DPR Trails (2015) • Metro Active Transportation Strategic Plan Existing and Planned Trails (2014) • Geosyntec/OLIN Literature Review (2018) 1 Rahman T,Cushing RA, Jackson RJ Contributions of built environment to childhood obesity. The Mount Sinai journal of medicine, New York. 2011; 78(1): 49-57. 2 Dannenberg AL, Jackson RJ, Frumkin H, Schieber RA, Pratt M, Kochtitzky C, Tilson HH, The Impact of Community Design and Land-Use Choices on Public Health: A Scientific Research Agenda, American Journal of Public Health. 2003; 93(9): 1500-8. 3 Jiang, B., Zhang, T., & Sullivan, W.C. (2015). Healthy Cities; Mechanisms and research questions regarding the impacts of urban green landscapes on public health and well-being. Landscape Architecture Frontiers, 3 (1), p. 24-35. Published in Mandarin and English. Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 3 Acres of Parkland per Person In 2015, the LA County General Plan set an overall goal of 4 acres of local parkland per 1000 people.4 Most cities along the LA River also have their own goals as set forth in their general plans. DPR completed a Countywide Parks Needs Assessment in 2016 that considered parkland (acres), park pressure, and park access as part of the criteria to determine overall park need. The assessment ranges from very low to very high need. Many communities and cities along the LA River corridor are within the moderate to high need categories. In addition to the LA County park needs classifications, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 2.22 acres per 1000 people. Cities in the western San Fernando Valley and along the lower LA River do not meet this minimum. Figure 1: Park acres per 1000 residents in cities along the LA River corridor. 4 LA County Department of Regional Planning. LA County General Plan. 2015. 185. Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 4 Park Size and Amenities The 2015 LA County General Plan categorizes parks into six classifications: park nodes (<1/4 acre), pocket parks (<3 acres), neighborhood parks (3-10 acres), community parks (10-20 acres), community regional parks (20-100 acres), and regional parks (100+ acres). See Appendix A for a list of all parks within 1 mile of the LA River. While there are 26 community regional parks and regional parks within 1 mile of the LA River, over 80 percent of these parks are confined to river miles 21 through 47. Further, there are no parks over 100 acres south of Elysian Park, which is just north of Downtown Los Angeles, within 1 mile of the river. Figure 2: Park sizes along the LA River. Large parks of community regional scale and regional scale are highlighted in purple. Areas south of Downtown LA and west of Sepulveda Basin are outlined in pink to emphasize their lack of regional parks (few purple dots). Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 5 The Countywide Parks Needs Assessment also considered recreation amenities across LA County. There are large concentrations of recreation amenities near Sepulveda Basin, Griffith Park, Downtown Los Angeles, and South Gate. Figure 3: Distribution of park amenities along the river from light (fewest amenities) to dark (most amenities). City names and river miles are indicated to the left. The lower right illustration is a composite of all amenities, with clusters of dark areas (indicating high numbers of amenities) called out with pink outlines for emphasis. Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 6 Comparing the types of amenities within 1 mile of the upper half (north of river mile 20) and lower half (south of river mile 20) of the river: • both halves have a roughly equal distribution of o baseball fields o soccer fields o pools o senior centers • the southern half has 2+ times as many as the northern half of o basketball courts o community centers o gyms o multi-purpose fields o playgrounds o skateparks • the northern half has 2 times as many as southern half of o tennis courts Access (Trails and Connectivity) Today, trails provide access to 30 of the 51 river miles, or 60% of the corridor. The County has hundreds of miles of proposed multi-use trails. This includes the closure of gaps in the bike paths along the LA River and Compton Creek. Generally, there is a trail along only one side of the river at a time; only 5 miles offer access on both banks. The longest continuous segments of the LA County River Bike Path are a 16-mile stretch between the Imperial Highway and the mouth of the LA River at Long Beach and a 7-mile stretch along the Glendale Narrows. In the San Fernando Valley, the trail becomes more fragmented. The trails vary substantially in width and material as well, from a 17-foot-wide stone fines path to an 8- foot-wide striped asphalt bikeway. This variability accentuates the lack of continuity in the river corridor. Users experience many paths rather than one. The variable trail designs also favor some users over others. For example, cyclists tend to prefer paved paths, while equestrians tend to prefer unpaved paths. As trail usage increases, it is possible that there may be more conflicts between users due to differences in speed and skill level—particularly where trails are narrow. Consistent visual and material surface cues can help achieve a continuous, legible river corridor that serves a diverse set of users. Progress Memorandum to Carolina Hernandez 19 November 2018 Page 7 Figure 4: Existing trails and access points along the LA River Corridor.

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