Meetings and Outreach

IN-PERSON COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE MEETINGS

Twenty-three open house meetings followed an interactive format designed to encourage active involvement. After an introductory presentation, participants explored stations with informational and interactive boards. Informational boards provided participants with greater detail about the project. Interactive boards provided participants with opportunities to express their opinions and preferences. RAP staff and consultants were available to answer participants’ questions.

In-person open houses provide a forum for residents to give direct feedback and be in dialog with the project team.

Virtual Open-House Meetings

Virtual open houses provided a way for those unable to attend the in-person open houses to hear the same presentation from any location. Following the presentation, a moderated Q+A session gave participants the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the project content.

Additional deep-dive webinars during the Draft PNA phase provided  community members a format to learn more detailed information about the PNA and ask the Project Team questions. These virtual open houses and  webinars were made available on the PNA website and YouTube Channel.

Community members viewing display boards and speaking with facilitators during the Phase I community meeting at Ramona Hall
Community members converse about pickleball at the community meeting at Ramona Hall.
OLIN, 2025.

Engagement Materials

Materials provided at the meetings included informational and engagement project boards, project fact sheets, sticky notes, comment cards, and contact information. A large city map allowed participants to indicate where they live and parks they frequently use. Materials were available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Armenian.

A large public input poster titled, "HOW WOULD YOU ADD MORE NATURE AND UNPROGRAMMED GREEN SPACES TO EXISTING PARKS?". The poster presents a grid of eight park improvement ideas, each with a photo and title, such as "Replace Paved Areas with Plantings," "Create Green Roofs," and "Add Pollinator Gardens." The poster asks for feedback by providing a space to place dots on the four most important ideas.
Materials were made available at community meetings including informational boards, flyers, and activity books gave participants a variety of ways to engage with information about the PNA.
OLIN, 2025.
A community input form titled "DRAW YOUR DREAM PARK!". The form contains a drawing of a park with trees, a winding trail, and people on it. Next to the drawing is a handwritten list of desired park features, including "BIKE PARKING RACKS," "TREES," "TRAILS," and "SPACE TO PICNIC/HANG OUT." The bottom of the sheet has pre-printed icons and labels for other park features.
An infographic from the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks for a Parks Needs Assessment. The poster explains that the city owns over 500 park sites and manages 16,000 acres of parks and 92 miles of trails. The center of the poster is a map of Los Angeles County, with a legend that highlights the City of LA boundary and the locations of parks and the LA River. The bottom of the poster provides the website needs.parks.lacity.gov.
Three people stand in a classroom, looking at a large wall-mounted map of Los Angeles that asks for community input. The map contains the question, "WHICH LA PARK DO YOU GO TO THE MOST?"
Residents explore informational boards in a Phase 2 community meeting at Lafayette Recreation Center
OLIN, 2025.

Youth Focused Outreach

A youth advocacy workshop with the South East Asian Community Alliance at Alpine Recreation Center and several youth-centered pop-ups, including the LA Maker Faire and the YMCA Youth Recreation Day, allowed LA’s youngest park users (and future park stewards) and their parents to have their voices heard.

Outside of the youth-focused events, an educational activity book, “draw your dream park” activity sheet, and youth survey were available at in-person meetings, at pop-ups, and on the PNA website to explain the PNA process accessibly and gather aspirations for the future of LA parks.

A group of young adults is seated on a large striped blanket on a grassy lawn, participating in an informal outdoor meeting. A woman in the center is holding a booklet and speaking to the group. Several informational posters are displayed on easels in the background, in front of a red brick building.
A youth advocacy workshop was held at Alpine Recreation Center in Chinatown with the Southeast Asian Community Alliance.
OLIN, 2025.
A two-page spread of youth activity materials features a coloring page with park landscape and animal outlines on the left, and a "Park Access" maze and "Find the Park!" word search puzzle on the right.

Youth activity and education materials were provided at meetings and for download on the project website.

OLIN, 2025.

Pop-Ups and Walkshops

To engage a broader spectrum of Los Angeles residents, PNA team members set up information booths and tables at events occurring throughout the city, connecting with individuals in familiar and comfortable settings. These pop-ups led to spontaneous, meaningful interactions with families, seniors, students, and professionals who might not have known or had the time or ability to attend the PNA open houses.

Walkshop events held at Griffith Park, Venice Beach, and Earnest E. Debs Regional Park facilitated inclusive and representative feedback from park users in real time.

Two women in matching turquoise t-shirts stand side-by-side and smile at the camera. They are in front of several posters on easels that provide charts and information about a "Park Needs Assessment." In the background are palm trees, a grassy area, and other tents, suggesting a public event at a park or beach.
A walkshop in Venice Beach brought information about the PNA to community members out in the parks.
OLIN, 2025.
At an outdoor event booth, two young girls are drawing on a large poster board titled, "DRAW IN WHAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT LA PARKS." In the background, a woman speaks to a staff member who is seated behind a table under a white tent. Other informational posters are also visible.
The YMCA Healthy Day for Kids event included a sensory board for children to draw what they love most about parks.
OLIN, 2025.

Equity Sessions

The PNA equity sessions focused on communities, issues, and groups often neglected in large planning processes. The sessions were organized around four critical lenses: Critical Social Services addressing people who use parks to access service providers like people experiencing homelessness, Parks in Place focusing on residents and vendors who access parks for economic benefit and the impacts of parks on gentrification and displacement, Access for All focusing on access and disability in parks, and the Public Stage which focused on arts and culture in parks.

In 16 equity sessions, the team met with over 30 organizations from around the City to address each of the topics, discussing their intersections and creating recommendations for the PNA guidelines. These meetings centered the lived experiences of participants to help shape more inclusive, equitable public spaces in the future. Attendees directly helped to shape components within the PNA Guidelines.

Equity sessions focused on communities with specialized relationships to parks
Source: Kounkuey Design Initiative

Groups involved in the Equity Sessions throughout the year include:

  • Access LA
  • Angel City Sports
  • AARP
  • Butterfli
  • City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)
  • Clockshop
  • Community Power Collective (CPC)
  • Disability Rights California (DRC)
  • DTLA Alliance
  • DTLA Mobility for All
  • FASTLink DTLA
  • Friend of the LA River (FoLAR)
  • Homeless Health Care Los Angeles (HHCLA)
  • Inclusive Action for the City (IAC)
  • Infinite Flow Dance
  • Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC)
  • LA City Department of Disability (LADOD)
  • LA Commons
  • LA River Arts (LARA)
  • LA Walks
  • Move LA
  • The Music Center
  • Nature for All
  • Northeast Neighborhood Outreach
  • PACE
  • Prevention Institute
  • Proyecto Pastoral
  • Rancho de Los Amigos
  • Refresh Mobility
  • Safe Place for Youth (SPY)
  • Self Help Graphics (SHG)
  • Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE)
  • Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore
Full List of Engagement Meetings

Analog & Digital Resources

Social Media

RAP and PNA-specific Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts were used to keep residents informed and engaged. Posts included images, videos, and information about the survey and community meetings, and served as a call to action for community members interested in sharing feedback about city parks.

Print Outs and Analog Information

Flyers, mailers, QR codes, lawn signs, banners, and posters were distributed to recreation centers and local businesses near community meetings. These materials contained information about community meetings and the overall project. The flyer was available in double-sided English and Spanish, Mandarin, Armenian, and Korean.

Project Website

The PNA website (needs.parks.lacity.gov) served as an engagement hub with project information and digital surveys, continually updated throughout the PNA’s development. Now that the PNA is complete, the website has turned into an interactive version of the final PNA itself.

A collage displays promotional materials for the City of Los Angeles "Park Needs Assessment," including a large flyer listing community meeting dates and smaller cards with QR codes in English and Spanish.
Flyers, banners, and QR codes were made available in multiple languages.
OLIN, 2025.
A grid of four images shows examples of a project's digital engagement. Top left: An animated video with the title "LA Park Needs Assessment." The screen shows nine icons, with a magnifying glass hovering over one that has the letters "ADA" and a wheelchair symbol, indicating accessibility. Top right: A compilation of social media posts from the project, including posts for Instagram, Facebook, and a general events calendar. The posts feature graphics and photos of community meetings and park-related activities. Bottom left: The project's website, featuring a large photo of people playing soccer and the text, "There are about 500 parks in Los Angeles." Bottom right: A webpage titled "Echo Park" with a map of the park, a "Conditions Assessment" checklist, and information about the location and existing tree canopy.
Other forms of engagement include videos, social media, and a project website. Source: OLIN, 2025.
OLIN, 2025.

COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAM

To reach an even larger audience, 12 community partner organizations with existing networks were tasked with reaching out to their constituents to engage them in the PNA process. These groups attended events and shared information on how to provide input at over 100 events and outreach efforts throughout the year.

Twelve community partner organizations were part of the PNA process to extend outreach.
Twelve community partner organizations were part of the PNA process to extend outreach.
OLIN, 2025.

The community partner organizations for the PNA included:

  • Friends of the LA River
  • Heart of Los Angeles
  • Homeless Health Care Los Angeles
  • Koreatown Youth + Community Center (KYCC)
  • LA Compost
  • Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
  • Los Angeles Walks
  • Nature for All
  • Northeast Neighborhood Outreach (NENO)
  • Pacoima Beautiful
  • Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore
  • TreePeople

Community partner groups extended outreach to increase awareness and resources for the Park Needs Assessment.

Agency, Non-Profit, and Community Advocate Coordination

Technical Advisory Committee

City and County agencies, local technical and institutional leadership, as well as elected officials’ staff, were invited to participate in a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that met at three key milestones to provide technical feedback on the Park Needs Assessment. A full list of Technical Advisory Committee members is provided in the acknowledgments at the beginning of this document.

A group of people are seated at a long conference table in a modern room, facing each other during a discussion or meeting. Laptops and papers are on the tables, and framed artwork is on the walls.
Technical Advisory Committee members discussing the PNA.
OLIN, 2025.

Steering Committee

The PNA Steering Committee was composed of a cross section of park advocates, interest groups, and leadership from the City and RAP. This group met at seven key milestones to review findings and give direction to analyses and recommendations. A full list of Steering Committee members is provided in the acknowledgments.

A man is giving a presentation in a meeting room, standing in front of a large projection screen that displays a detailed chart. He is speaking to a group of people seated at tables, who are facing him and taking notes. The room has modern lighting and a stage with dark curtains in the background.
Presenting a draft list of PNA priorities to the Steering Committee.
OLIN, 2025.
A small group of five people stands in an indoor room, gathered around several large poster boards displayed on easels. A woman is pointing to a chart on one of the posters, explaining its content to the others. The posters contain text and graphics, and the people appear engaged in a discussion.
Steering Committee members discussing different priorities.
Mark Hanna/Geosyntec, 2025.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL REPORTS

Neighborhood councils across Los Angeles were invited to submit short reports on local park conditions and priorities as part of the PNA outreach effort. Reports were requested to focus on each council or neighborhood’s significant challenges and opportunities to provide insight into their lived reality. This outreach aimed to gather geographically specific insights to inform the PNA, as well as provide information to Council Districts, decision makers, and RAP. Twelve neighborhood councils submitted reports which can be found on the downloads page.

Submit a Comment on the PNA
Download the PNA PDFs
Sign Up for Project Updates

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