Los Angeles County Parks Department Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan

The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation recently completed a strategic plan which details goals, strategies, and actions that reflect the agency's commitment to advancing equity.

2 minute read

March 16, 2023, 12:00 PM PDT

By Clement Lau


The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), one of the largest public park agencies in the country, recently released its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, created to guide the agency's direction, decision-making, and growth for the next five years. The Plan sets forth a course of action for both DPR's internal improvements and external work across Los Angeles County. It also establishes benchmarks to track progress and ensure that DPR is meeting the stated goals.

The Plan was developed with extensive community and staff engagement and based on an anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion-focused framework. It affirms the department's commitment to prioritize funding and staffing for programming and park access initiatives that redress social, racial, gender-based, and environmental injustice in L.A. County, especially in the most vulnerable communities. Specifically, the six goals of the Plan are:

  • Goal 1: Promote play and well-being of youth, families, and seniors
  • Goal 2: Strengthen programs, experiences, and engagement in the community
  • Goal 3: Increase park equity and access to innovative park space
  • Goal 4: Invest in staff and volunteers
  • Goal 5: Provide stewardship of public lands, natural resources, and urban forestry
  • Goal 6: Advance organizational excellence

Each goal is a broad statement of what DPR seeks to accomplish to achieve its vision as a world-class parks and recreation organization. Following each goal is a set of strategies, which describe how DPR plans to achieve the goals. Each strategy has a list of actions that outline the specific activities that DPR will undertake to implement the strategies.  

To review and learn more about the Plan, please visit this website

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of residential street in Los Angeles with palm trees and hazy city in distance.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience

Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

April 27 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Entrance sign for San Jose-Santa Clara Regional wastewater treatment facility.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action

As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

April 27 - * A Placemaking Journal

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

April 27 - WHYY