Advancing Play Equity Through Mobile Recreation

It typically takes a lot of time and money to acquire land and build new parks. In fact, it typically takes years before new parks can be provided due to financial, bureaucratic and political issues, and other constraints. Recognizing the urgency and need to meet the needs of park-poor communities, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) offers the Park on the Move program in coordination and collaboration with partners like the LA84 Foundation.

DPR recognizes that play is one of the most powerful experiences that contributes to overall individual well-being and healthier communities.  Mobile playground experiences can lead to improved physical fitness and social skills and provide positive outlets to relieve stress and heal from trauma. Park on the Move is a free program designed for school-age children 6 to 13 years old. It brings the power of play and physical fitness to youth living in the most park-poor unincorporated areas of L.A. County. The program advances play equity by removing barriers to participation in out-of-school-time recreational experiences and building a lifelong appreciation for play. Some activities include a mobile skatepark (equipment included), sports, arts and crafts, and games led by trained and caring DPR staff.

This summer, Park on the Move is offered in the unincorporated communities of Bassett, Lennox, and West Athens-Westmont. According to the Los Angeles Countywide Parks Needs Assessment, all three communities have less than one acre of parkland per 1,000 residents, which is significantly below the county average of 3.3.