Parks and open space are fundamental to the livability of cities and their neighborhoods. But in Los Angeles, a city historically conceived as a place of low-density homes each with its own private garden, civic leaders set aside extraordinarily modest amounts of land for open space and park/recreational purposes. As the city has grown and become increasingly dense, concern about lack of adequate park and recreation space for city residents has grown rapidly. Except for a few big parks, the City of Los Angeles is lacking in enough parks and green space considering the population. (See Map 1 of "Parks and Park Funding", in PDF format).

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