Parks

COMMUNITY SCHOOL PARKS

In 2023, Councilmember Raman introduced a motion to reignite the effort on opening Community School Parks (CSPs), which are school campuses which are open for recreational use by the public. In the past two years, the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) has opened 10 CSPs, including one in CD4 at Garden Grove Elementary. RAP has also entered into a Joint Powers Agreement with LAUSD, which was formally approved by both agencies in August of 2025.

Right now, less than two-thirds of Angelenos live within a ten-minute walk of a park, and low income communities of color have disproportionately lower park acreage per capita. In fact, the Trust for Public Land ranks our city 90th out of the top 100 most populated American cities in terms of equitable access to park space. Both the Trust for Public Land report, and a report conducted by the LA Parks Foundation on CSPs, “Pathways to Play – Community School Parks Program Report” identify CSPs as a key way to increase access to parks and recreational space for Angelenos by quickly bring recreational space to neighborhoods that lack such facilities, providing safe play spaces for thousands of children and their families.

With the Joint Powers Agreement in place, we no longer have to have a separate permit for each school with LAUSD, allowing us to more efficiently and cost-effectively operate the CSP program moving forward.

SOUTH GRIFFITH PARK MASTER PLAN AND GRIFFITH PARK PLUNGE POOL RESTORATION

South Griffith Park Master Plan
Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion in December 2023 to launch a community-driven master plan focused on southern Griffith Park. This legislation set in motion the creation of a community-driven master plan and visioning effort for the southern portion of Griffith Park, south of Los Feliz Boulevard along Riverside Drive, in order to determine priority new recreational, cultural, or educational uses for the area and the best sites for said uses.

The proposed scope of work for this community-driven master plan and visioning effort is expected to include: inventorying existing structures, recreational facilities and other infrastructure assets in the area; a programmatic environmental document; addressing current challenges and constraints; transportation and circulation; and thinking through vibrant, creative, sustainable, and intergenerational uses for existing and potential uses and facilities or structures in the area. Specifically, intended uses and a site location for a new Griffith Park Adult Community Center will be determined and scoped in consultation with seniors and other community stakeholders.

At the February 5th, 2026 meeting of the Board of Department of Recreation and Parks Commissioners, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. (MVVA) was selected as the consultant and will be engaging with the community and drafting the master plan!

Griffith Park Plunge Pool Restoration
Closed for COVID-19 protocols during the pandemic, the Griffith Park Plunge Pool was set to reopen in 2022 when it was discovered that the pool could not hold water any longer.

As such Council District 4, the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), and the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) worked together to identify and assemble the $2.4M in funding for design needed to initiate the restoration. A further $5.35M in funding was identified in the FY24-25 City Budget as part of a multi-year commitment.

A Notice to Proceed has been issued to the architecture firm of Perkins+Eastman and design and planning work began in the fall of 2025. A total of 14 months for design is expected, followed by six months for bid and award for construction, and a further 24 months for construction thereafter.

MAKING UPGRADES AT VAN NUYS SHERMAN OAKS PARK

A Regional Park for the South Valley
In the summer of 2024, our office worked with the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) to survey parkgoers on potential improvements to Van Nuys Sherman Oaks War Memorial Park (VNSO). The survey suggested some popular or feasible recreation facilities as well as asking open-ended questions about features at the park. After closing and tabulating the results, RAP is working on a proposal to present to the community and to potentially seek funding for. The survey also mentioned that some improvements would be coming to ballfields in VNSO as part of a Federal Earmark won for four parks in the Valley by Rep. Brad Sherman’s office.

The survey noted high levels of interest in a Dog Park and a Community Garden. It also noted a fair number of comments related to refurbished bathrooms and more bathrooms, better lighting, and pathway maintenance. The RAP proposal will look at these types of comments and many more opportunities.

IMPROVING SAFETY & MOBILITY IN GRIFFITH PARK

Los Angeles creates a new car-free section of Griffith Park for recreation

In June 2022, our office partnered with the Department of Recreation and Parks and consulting firm Kimley-Horn to launch a Griffith Park Safety & Mobility Improvements Feasibility Study. The study evaluated current conditions on Griffith Park Drive, Zoo Drive, Western Heritage Way, and Crystal Springs Drive and proposed short, medium, and long term improvements to improve safety and increase access for all. As of the summer of 2025 we have entered the pre-construction portion of Phase III of the plan to reconfigure Crystal Springs Drive to make it safer for people walking and biking.  

We also worked with then-Assemblymember Laura Friedman, who helped us secure $4M in state funds to help fund recommendations from this report as well as other needed improvements in and around Griffith Park. To date these funds have been used to install speed humps near the Ferraro Soccer Fields and improve lighting for one of our equestrian tunnels. Construction was also completed in September 2025 on a new signalized crosswalk at Harvard Blvd and Franklin Ave in Los Feliz.

See the full list of Griffith Park State Earmark-funded projects and their status.

Griffith Park Drive Closure
The Griffith Park Safety & Mobility Improvements Feasibility Study identified the closure of a ⅔ mile stretch of Griffith Drive as Phase I. After a successful pilot study in the summer of 2022, the Board Department of Recreation and Parks Commissioners voted unanimously to permanently close Griffith Park Drive from Travel Town to Mt. Hollywood Drive to personal vehicle use. Cut-through traffic has since been significantly reduced within the park, and people hiking, biking, or riding horseback are able to enjoy the park as it was originally intended. 

RUNYON CANYON PARK & WATTLES GARDEN PARK FIRE RECOVERY AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

Recovering from the Sunset Fire
The effects of the Sunset fire on Runyon Canyon Park and Wattles Garden Park were extensive but could have been so much worse had it not been for conditions allowing aerial firefighting and the bravery and dedication of our Park Rangers and LAFD Firefighters in containing and putting out the fire. The resulting burn scar, and subsequent mudslides have meant that 2025 was a year of repair and renewal in the burn scar area.

In Runyon Canyon Park, the West Trail was closed for all of 2025 in order to let plant-life re-establish itself, but has since re-opened. Restoration work at Wattles Garden Park has been largely complete as of the beginning of 2026, with some items still underway. This restoration has included the regrading and removal of mudflow debris in the Japanese and American garden sections and the installation of a number of new chain link retention basins and walls (paid for by an emergency grant from the LA County Regional Park and Open Space District), the restoration of the Japanese entrance gate by RAP construction staff, hillside stabilization and restoration, and a special tree emergency contract paid for by CD4 to help remove dead tree trunks and manage other issues.

Our office is working with RAP to identify funding for repairs and improvements to interior security fencing and an expanded camera system at Wattles Garden Park, as well as restoring the trellis which used to cover the walkway up to the Japanese garden, and finally a planting plan for the Japanese garden.

Runyon Canyon Park Improvements
Runyon Canyon is getting an upgrade! After extensive outreach and collaboration with local stakeholders, the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) Board approved a project to install a permanent restroom in Runyon Canyon Park. This new facility is necessitated under RAP’s standards for park service levels and will serve to ensure Runyon Canyon remains safe, clean, accessible, and enjoyable for Angelenos and visitors alike! 

Click HERE for more information. 

EXPANDING OUR PARK SPACE

Supported the Purchase of Laurel Spring Property by MRCA
In 2024, alongside fundraising support from Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife (CLAW) and the Laurel Canyon Association, our office contributed $15,000 to help the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) purchase the 2.4 Laurel Spring property at the corner of Lookout Mountain Avenue and Laurel Canyon Boulevard. This site features natural springs and rich biodiversity, and will be ecologically restored over the coming years.

Added 10 Acres to Griffith Park
With donations from various organizations including the West Valley Alliance for Optimal Living, Friends of Griffith Park, Bob & Joan Young, Annette Sikhand, and a contribution from our office, we were able to help facilitate the donation of donate a 10 acre parcel of land in Griffith Park, just north of the Hollywood Sign, to the City to remain a public asset. 

As the population increases and the need for park space increases with it, the addition of this parcel of land will help conserve open space for users of Griffith Park and a public benefit to residents of the city.

BUILDING A LOS ANGELES ZOO FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

In 2016, the L.A. Zoo began a public process for what would become the Zoo’s Vision Plan for 2028 and Beyond to help transform the campus into a modern facility focused on conservation and community.

City Council voted to approve the revised Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Zoo Vision Plan: Alternative 1.5 in August 2023. Alternative 1.5 takes the Zoo Vision Plan a long way towards addressing real environmental concerns by eliminating a planned multi-story parking garage, eliminating the planned Africa Area, which will preserve 6 acres with oak trees, and committing to measures that will reduce vehicle miles traveled by 10% by improving connections to the city’s public and active transportation networks. The Zoo has also committed to building a smaller visitor center, no longer located on the ridgeline and developed in line with other legislation across the city that seeks to preserve wildlife crossings, as well as minimizing blasting during construction. 

This is a milestone in a longer journey that will require much more additional public outreach as detailed design plans for the new Zoo take shape.  I also want to encourage the public to keep in mind that this is a conceptual plan – not a design document – and that the Zoo has committed to continued community engagement once the project enters the Design Development phase. Together, we can build a better, more innovative Zoo with an emphasis on wildlife and environmental conservation.