School Parks Initiative Passes

The City Council unanimously approved Councilmember LaBonge’s initiative to make public school campuses greener and open them on weekends to neighboring communities.
The plan, which was initiated by Councilmember LaBonge and Councilmember Richard Alarcon and approved on Wednesday, calls for a master joint-use agreement between the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Unified School District to create recreation opportunities on school campuses throughout the city.
“With this initiative, we’re taking a giant leap toward making Los Angeles a healthier city where children of all ages can play and enjoy active recreation in their own neighborhoods,” Councilmember LaBonge said. “This plan helps us fight obesity, connect people to their own neighborhoods and make our school campuses greener. It’s a win-win-win.”
This plan attempts to address the limited park space available in Los Angeles. A recent study by the Trust for Public Land, (“TPL”) a national non‐profit public land conservancy, found that two‐thirds of children 18 and under in Los Angeles do not live within walking distance of a public park. The limited park space has been linked to high rates of childhood obesity and other health issues.
The multi-agency Community School Parks working group has been studying this proposal since the two councilmembers first introduced it in August, 2007. The City of Santa Monica has successfully opened playgrounds for public use at several schools, for example. The program is expected to start with 15 pilot sites throughout the city. It is expected to cost about $200,000 per location per year and would be funded through public and private sources.