Item 14 - Parks, Facilities, Trails and Open Space Master Plan

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Exhibit 1 MEASURING PARK AND PARK ACCESS AND RECREATION SERVICE EQUITY Cities must look at several different factors to measure the number, types, and sufficiency of parks, recreation facilities and trails. A common metric is the distance that residents must travel (walk, bike, drive, or use transport) to reach nearby parks. However, park and facility distribution, trail connectivity, population density, varying demographic characteristics, anticipated future growth and redevelopment, and land use characteristics all affect residents' access to park and recreation opportunities. Not all of Santa Ana's residents have the same level of access to parks and recreation opportunities. Furthermore, environmental contributors and barriers such as freeways, the Santa Ana River, and private or industrial land uses adversely affect and limit access in some parts of Santa Ana more than others. The PMP included a park access and equity analysis to identify 1) residential areas currently unserved by parks (known as park gaps), and 2) opportunities to address Santa Ana's park needs. Understanding the implications of park gaps informs This chapter presents a series of maps to the recommendations presented in this PMP. The evaluate access to green space and recreation Master Plan identifies barriers to park access so that opportunities, while also characterizing areas of the City of Santa Ana can make informed decisions greater needs. The evaluation focuses on: • Park access and equity • Trail corridor connectivity • Facility distribution • Focus areas for new growth • Other acquisition opportunities on how to concentrate efforts and funding in neighborhoods with the greatest need. 10-MINUTE AND 5-MINUTE WALK TO PARKS An important way to measure the sufficiency of parkland is based on the percentage of residents who have access to a park within walking distance from home. This metric helps highlight whether the City offers the right number and distribution of parks. Research shows that park proximity improves park use and increases health benefits. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) have championed the industry standard of providing parks within a 10-minute walk (or 1/2 mile) of all residents. This distance is typically the farthest Americans will walk on average reach a destination. FIGURE 4-1: TPL PARKLAND METRICS According to TPUs ParkServe data, one -quarter (25%) of Santa Ana residents do not have a developed park within a 10-minute walk from their home. Santa Ana also tends to have less parkland and smaller parks than other cities of a similar size. In fact, only four percent of Santa Ana's land use is devoted to parks and recreation, which is about a third of the national average. Although Santa Ana's parks are well distributed, this means is that some of Santa Ana parks are too small and underdeveloped to attract people from a 10-minute walking distance. For smaller parks, the City applies a 5-minute (quarter -mile) standard to measure park access. 4%of Santa Ana's city land is used for parks and recreation. U National median 15°% The Trust for Public Land publishes park metrics for cities across the nation. The City of Santa Ana devotes far less space to parks, recreation facilities, and trails than most other cities in the United States. ® SANTA ANA PARKS MASTER PLAN CHAPTER 4: PARK ACCESS, EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITIES