Using GIS to Advance Park Equity and Prioritize Restoration of Degraded Lands

In December 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which complements and offers information not previously included in the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment (PNA). Specifically, PNA+ contains data and analyses in support of expanding land conservation and restoration, improving transit to parks, and other strategies to meet regional and rural recreation needs, especially in the county's most vulnerable communities.

In this article, Sunny Fleming and Sophia Garcia discuss how the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) used GIS technology as part of the PNA+ to: 1) identify priority areas for conservation and restoration; 2) assess the needs of rural residents who live near open land but have few recreational amenities; and 3) support a strategy of remediating degraded lands in underserved neighborhoods. 

The PNA+ is L.A. County's 30x30 strategy which is equity-focused and aligns with state and federal goals to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by the year 2030 to fight climate change and protect biodiversity. PNA+ addresses both environmental conservation and restoration.  It identifies priority areas for environmental conservation which are areas that offer the most environmental benefits as measured by species diversity, significant habitat, habitat connectivity, proximity to a waterbody, and habitat type. 

The study also calls out priority areas for environmental restoration. These are areas that have the most environmental burdens with respect to groundwater threat, hazardous waste, poor air and water quality, and pollution burden. Examples include oil fields, brownfields, landfills, and other degraded lands which may be converted to parks and open space in the future. The restoration of degraded lands is of great importance and a matter of environmental justice in L.A. County where numerous underserved communities are plagued with environmental burdens.