Regional Parks & Open Space District (RPOSD) - Measure A
The Regional Parks and Open Space District (RPOSD) was formed with the passage of Measure A, creating a new open-space district which encompasses LA County. The district brings in about $93 million each year through a parcel tax which it distributes to new and existing public space projects in the form of grants, including technical and planning grants.
The five LA County Supervisors serve as directors, with help from the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, working to survey needs and allocate funds from Measure A to the 88 LA County cities and other local park groups.
Power Dynamics
Although Measure A made a promise to focus on park access in underserved communities, it quickly became apparent that the funding was facing major implementation challenges. In 2017, the Parks Equity Alliance formed, bringing together a huge countywide coalition of climate, parks, and public space advocates that introduced key amendments for how the money would be spent. In 2019, new funding guidelines were passed.
Now, $22 million of Measure A funds each year are specifically dedicated to eliminating inequities in park-poor, low-income Black and Latino neighborhoods, with reporting requirements to track this funding. Additionally, the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) now conducts a countywide needs assessment report that includes all types of parks and public spaces, so grants can be surfaced that specifically target the highest-need areas. The county, which has become a heavyweight on climate, producing exceptional sustainability and heat action plans, is uniquely well-suited to tackle these types of urban greening issues. The district’s executive director is Norma E. García-González, a longtime park equity advocate who also heads the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
How to Make a Difference
As the organizing of the Park Equity Alliance demonstrated, working closely with LA County Supervisors resulted in very effective reforms to Measure A funding. But there will likely be more implementation challenges, and RPOSD meetings deserve sustained attention. The meetings of the Measure A Citizen Oversight Advisory Board are also open to the public, allowing for quarterly funding and implementation updates. Grants are now being awarded for park programming, which offer new opportunities for reaching different communities.
Pressure needs to be exerted to bolster efforts to create more brand-new parks in underserved areas. Some Measure A funding is devoted to transit to trails and other programs that increase car-free access to parks and wilderness. And while these programs are extremely important from a climate and equity perspective, they don’t necessarily fix the problem that’s facing most of LA’s underserved communities — there’s a severe lack of green space in their own neighborhoods, and more parks would keep them cooler and healthier at home. In 2022, $9 million was divided by 30 municipalities for the creation of new parks, and these are only through planning and technical grants.
Groups to Follow
City Parks Alliance
City Plants
LA Waterkeeper
LA Neighborhood Initiative (LANI)
Los Angeles Alliance for New Economy (LAANE)
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT)
Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative
NRDC
Park Equity Alliance
Prevention Institute
Sierra Club
Tree People
Trust for Public Land