THE CURIOUS CASE OF PARK SPACE: AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC PARKS IN SANTA ANA, CA ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Geography ____________________________________ By Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez Thesis Committee Approval: Zia Salim, Department of Geography & the Environment, Chair John Carroll, Department of Geography & the Environment Jonathan Taylor, Department of Geography & the Environment Spring, 2017 ABSTRACT Public parks are important urban resources that promote health, enrich communities, and enhance the local environment. However, the literature on public parks suggests that these resources are not always equitably distributed. Research has shown that communities of color, characterized with low-household incomes and limited political weight, often lack adequate public park opportunities when compared to their more affluent counterparts. Empirical cases allude to recurrent themes within the framework of environmental justice as the drivers inducing the shortage of public parks in many marginalized communities. The city of Santa Ana, California is a predominantly Hispanic community with a documented shortage of public parks. Using this city as a case study site, this study will implement a mix-method approach to address several questions about the inequitable distributions of public parks. Through in-depth archival research of park provisions, along with interviews of advocates and decision-makers, and cartographic analysis this study will attempt to answer the following questions. First, why is Santa Ana so park- poor? Second, are the drivers found in environmental justice literature present in Santa Ana? And, what steps can be made to mitigate the shortage of public parks? ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Public Park Positives ............................................................................................ 2 A Curious Case ..................................................................................................... 6 Methods ................................................................................................................ 7 Summary ............................................................................................................... 12 2. A BRIEF HISTORY OF PUBLIC PARKS .......................................................... 16 From Agoras to Asphalt ........................................................................................ 16 America’s First Grand Park .................................................................................. 20 Promises of Parks.................................................................................................. 23 Inequitable Distribution ........................................................................................ 26 3. LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 30 Democracy on the Horizon ................................................................................... 31 Urban Public Facilities.......................................................................................... 33 The Environmental Justice Framework ................................................................ 35 An Inverted Argument .......................................................................................... 39 Environmental Justice for Public Parks ................................................................ 40 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 47 4. MINORITIES IN SANTA ANA, CA................................................................... 49 Early Days of Santa Ana ....................................................................................... 50 Ole’ West Justice .................................................................................................. 51 Gentrification: Part One ........................................................................................ 53 Destruction and Construction ............................................................................... 55 Braceros and Barrios ............................................................................................. 56 iii “Greatest Generation” ........................................................................................... 60 The Black Panthers ............................................................................................... 62 Gentrification: Part Two ....................................................................................... 65 5. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 71 Why is Santa Ana so Park-Poor? .......................................................................... 71 Myopic Planning ............................................................................................ 72 Socio-Economic Changes .............................................................................. 75 The Game of Politics ..................................................................................... 80 Santa Ana: A Case of Environmental Injustice? .................................................. 83 Historical Marginalization ............................................................................. 84 Equity vs. Equality ......................................................................................... 85 The Role of Non-Profits ................................................................................ 88 Fear of the Park .............................................................................................. 90 The Cost to Play ............................................................................................. 92 Mitigating Strategies ............................................................................................. 95 Short-Term Solutions ..................................................................................... 95 Medium-Term Solutions ................................................................................ 97 Long-Term Solutions ..................................................................................... 108 Summary ............................................................................................................... 109 6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .................................................................. 110 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 115 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 117 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................ 120 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. List of Interviewees.............................................................................................. 9 2. Budget Allocation: Selected Fiscal Years (1965-1966 to 2014-2015) ................ 83 3. Acreage Data for Digitized Parks and Joint-Use Sites ........................................ 101 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Location of public parks and joint-use sites in Santa Ana, CA (2017) ................ 100 2. Total population within 1/2 mile of public parks and joint-use sites ................... 103 3. Park Service Areas for selected parks and joint-use sites .................................... 105 4. Potential joint-use sites and adjusted park service areas ..................................... 107 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research represents countless hours of dedication and sacrifice by many people. First and foremost, I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Zia Salim, for his encouragement, patience, and for his unconditional commitment to me and the entire Geography student body. Please continue to engage and promote students to learn beyond the classroom. I would also like to express my gratitude to my committee members, Dr. John Carroll and Dr. Jonathan Taylor for their sound advice and insight. To all my professors and staff of the Department of Geography and the Environment, I am honored and humbled to have been part of this program, thank you. Many thanks to the participants of this research for providing their time, knowledge, and experiences. A special thanks to the helpful staff of the Santa Ana Library History Room and the Pollak Library University Archives and Special Collections. I would also like to thank Greg Beringer and Scott Williams for their assistance with the cartographic component of this research. I would like to thank my girlfriend, Anay Palafox, for her understanding and infinite support . YNWA. I want to thank my friends (too many to