Public-Private Partnerships Needed to Create More Parks in Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the most park-poor metropolitan areas in the U.S. Downtown L.A. (DTLA), in particular, is in need of more high quality public spaces to improve its vibrancy and livability. The need for parks in DTLA will likely increase in the future as the number of its housing units has more than quadrupled since 1999 and the current population of about 80,000 is projected to reach 250,000 by 2040. 

Downtown Works (DTWX), the nonprofit arm of Central City Association (CCA), recently released a report entitled “Creating Vibrant Urban Parks and Open Spaces through Public-Private Partnerships: Lessons for Downtown Los Angeles.” The report is informed by an analysis of successful examples of ten urban parks in other cities, such as Chicago’s Millennium Park, Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, and New York’s The High Line.

The report specifically calls for additional public-private partnerships (P3s) to help create and enhance parks projects throughout DTLA. As an example of how P3s can be coordinated and implemented in DTLA, the report references Grand Park as a case study. Grand Park is managed by the Music Center, a nonprofit entity which is funded in by the County of Los Angeles. In 2021, Grand Park, the Music Center and County of Los Angeles entered into a new 30-year operating agreement, extending their partnership until 2051.

Please read the source article by Luke Netzley for more information.