Environmental Systems and Societies

Applications of Environmental Policies to Ensure the Establishment and Conservation of Los Angeles Parks and Green Spaces

Abstract

Los Angeles is known to be one of the fastest-growing centers of innovation and economic productivity in the world, often characterized by intermittent gentrification, construction, and development, which leaves little consideration for parkland and open green spaces. In this essay, the extent to which the city of Los Angeles has been effective in forming and utilizing the Sustainability City pLAn to establish and sustain parks and green spaces within the city is assessed. The scope of the investigation takes into account progress made by local nonprofit organizations, university involvement, and municipal legislative action. Specifically, the Los Angeles Sustainability City pLAn can be attributed to efforts made by the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, TreePeople, the University of California Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Los Angeles local executive branch. The plan's progress and formation are to be analyzed in the context of park conservation and overall sustainability based upon data and accomplishments through community, university, and legislative initiatives. Overall, it can be concluded that the Los Angeles municipal government has achieved the expansion of park networks through the use of resources provided to them and collaborations with community leaders in improving Los Angeles's green spaces. These accomplishments have been propagated through the drafting and refinement of the Sustainability City pLAn as its goals are put into action. Altogether, this plan has wholly increased urban ecological benefits for wildlife, habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity within the city of Los Angeles and has the potential to provide a framework for sustainable land use in metropolitan capitals around the world.