Calculating Demand
Using data and partnerships to determine sports-field placement
By Clement Lau
Park planning has become increasingly data-driven in recent years. For instance, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) collects and analyzes a high volume and variety of data to prepare major plans and studies, with key examples including the 2016 Parks Needs Assessment (PNA), Community Parks and Recreation Plans (CPRP) for the most park-poor communities, and the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+).
Sports and Recreation Needs-Assessment Map Viewer (Source: DPR)
Building on the data collected from the PNA, DPR has completed further analyses to identify areas of the county with the greatest need for sports facilities for youth, including baseball fields, basketball courts, and soccer fields, based upon four key variables:
Level of park need
Percentage of youth population
Market potential index
Existing availability of sports facilities in a community.
Not only do the results of such analyses guide DPR’s work, but they have also helped cities and other organizations, such as the foundations of professional sports teams, to more objectively decide where to invest in developing sports facilities. This article explains how data and partnerships have supported the recent development and improvement of facilities in underserved communities for three of the most popular sports among youth in L.A. County—baseball, basketball, and soccer.
Baseball
L.A. County has 11 baseball fields per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average of 14.6. A key partner in developing new baseball and softball fields is the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), which builds Dodgers Dreamfields in neighborhoods across Los Angeles as safe havens and points of pride. The addition of these revitalized fields improves existing county parks, promotes physical activity, and creates additional opportunities for play and exercise in underserved communities. To-date, LADF has invested more than $18.7 million in building 58 Dodgers Dreamfields, and plans to complete 17 more fields to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles in 2033.
Dreamfield sites are selected based on the following:
A high need for youth baseball/softball recreation space
Racial and ethnic diversity
A high “park need” metric (per 2016 PNA)
The number of youth living in the surrounding community
Current baseball/softball popularity and participation rates.
Dodgers Dreamfields have been built at 17 parks, including ones in East and South Los Angeles, which are two of the most underserved areas of the county. Using data collected through surveys, focus groups, and interviews, LADF is able to study and document measurable, positive changes brought forth by Dreamfields, including an increase in youth participation in baseball and softball, as well as overall park usage, programming, and visitorship.
Basketball
Clippers Foundation Donation Infographic (Source: DPR)
L.A. County has 10 basketball courts per 100,000 residents, significantly below the national average of 63.1. Recently, DPR entered into a partnership with the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation (LACF) to upgrade indoor and outdoor basketball courts at county parks. LACF is a non-profit organization, established in 1994 by the L.A. Clippers professional basketball team, to promote positive educational, environmental, and humanitarian values through community-outreach events and programming. For several years, LACF has supported DPR with uniform donations and sponsoring the Jr. Clipper Youth Basketball Program, with over 3,000 players participating in DPR basketball leagues, and over 100,000 youth program-wide across Southern California.
The latest partnership with DPR involves LACF donating $5.3 million to the Los Angeles County Parks Foundation (LACPF) to fund the Clippers Community Courts program, a countywide initiative to refurbish and improve all basketball courts operated by DPR. Currently, DPR operates 117 basketball courts at 60 parks countywide, including many in park-poor neighborhoods that are lacking in quality recreational facilities and programs. This effort builds upon the work that LACF did in the city of Los Angeles, which included renovations of 350 public basketball courts, and took four years to complete.
Soccer
L.A. County has a ratio of four soccer fields per 100,000 residents, again much lower than the national average of 16.7. To expand the opportunities, DPR has partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Target to develop mini-pitches in Florence-Firestone and Lennox. These two communities were selected because they have very high levels of park need (per the PNA), and soccer is a very popular sport in both communities. Mini-pitches are small, customized spaces created for organized soccer programs and pick-up games. Not only do mini-pitches provide quality playing surfaces for children and adults, but they also help to transform the look and feel of neighborhoods. The mini-pitches are most suitable for urban areas and communities where finding a safe place to play and exercise can be difficult.
Mini-pitches at Lennox Park (Source: DPR)
Founded in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation offers programs that support youth development in underserved communities. Specifically, the foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives provide safe environments where kids and communities can thrive. The foundation has committed to creating 1,000 new mini-pitches by 2026.
Final Thoughts
DPR is committed to addressing the significant park and recreation needs documented in the PNA and PNA+ in ways that produce tangible results, provide multiple benefits, and improve the quality of life for residents. However, this is not easy to do, and DPR cannot do it alone. Data and partnerships are critical to highlighting and meeting the need for additional, improved sports facilities, especially for youth living in underserved communities.
Clement Lau, DPPD, FAICP, is a Departmental Facilities Planner with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Reach him at clau@parks.lacounty.gov.