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INDICATOR |
Proximity of households to parks by neighborhood |
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STATUS |
Good |
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TREND |
Improving |
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DESCRIPTION |
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The city has a goal to develop and maintain a sufficient open space system with an equitable distribution of parks, trees
and pathways throughout the community. This indicator currently measures the percent of households and population that
live within ½ mile and a ¼ mile of a park. The target for this indicator is an upward trend in the accessibility of parks in the
city. |
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PERFORMANCE SUMMARY |
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Proximity to Parks
| Within 1/4 Mile
| Within 1/2 Mile
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| Percentage of Population |
53% |
86% |
| Percentage of Households |
55% |
88% |
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This data is
derived from the 2000 census block group data.
It assumes equal distribution in each block
group. The analysis has not been repeated since
the opening Airport and Euclid parks in 2007.
That analysis will only increase the already
very favorable park accessibility Santa Monicans
enjoy. |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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● Airport
Park and Euclid Park both opened this year.
Together, they represent more than 8.3 acres of
new and renovated park space. Airport Park is
the first new park in Santa Monica since 1983.
Euclid Park is a newly renovated “backyard” park
in a densely-populated neighborhood. It contains
shade trees, a trellis, seating, a swing set and
climber for children, and a gardening area with
10 plots. |
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ANALYSIS |
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There
are almost 420 acres of public open space in the
City of Santa Monica.
Public parks make up 112 acres of the total open
space in the city. As a measure of the city¹s
sustainability, access to these parks is
essential. Parks provide places for rest,
recreation and aesthetic value. The open space
and park areas in Santa Monica included in this
analysis include "green streets" such as San
Vicente Blvd. Although it is not
explicitly a park, it is is a public space which
affords the opportunity for jogging and biking
in a less urban setting.
Parks and open space also reduce air pollution,
storm water runoff, and the urban heat island
effect. Utilizing community parks and open space
to improve environmental health, neighborhood
attractiveness and livability throughout the
city is an important strategy for a sustainable
city. Generally, a 1/2 mile is about a
10-minute walk and a 1/4 mile is about a
5-minute walk.
Following this year's opening of the two new
parks highlighted above, the only densely
populated area of Santa Monica which is not
served is the northwest border along Centinela.
Otherwise, the less populous areas north of
Montana have few parks, but have green streets
and large individual lots. |
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WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE? |
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Continue to create more parks, especially in neighborhoods which may be a bit underserved at present. |
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DATA SOURCES |
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View source material in Excel:
OSLU3_ParkAccessibility.xls.
Email contact for data source inquires. |
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PRINTING TIPS
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Printing tips for MS Internet Explorer |
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LAST UPDATED
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February 2008 |
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CITATION |
www.smepd.org/scpr |
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