City of Long Beach, CA

01/28/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/28/2022 11:05

Long Beach City Council Approves Adoption of Parks, Recreation and Marine 10-Year Strategic Plan

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach City Council approved the adoption of the proposed Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) Strategic Plan on Jan.18, 2022. The Plan will guide PRM's operational, staffing and budget decisions for a 10-year period from 2022 to 2032 and serve as a tool to adapt park services as the community's needs evolve.

"Our Long Beach parks, beaches and related programs have always played an essential role in our community's daily lives," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "This new plan outlines goals and outcomes for how the community envisions park spaces and programs to progress and continue to be accessible, enjoyable and equitable for all residents over the next 10 years."

The new Plan presents existing conditionsandcommunity inputand reflectscommunity-identified goals, valuesand actions. The history of Long Beach parks, park acreage and assets, park services and amenities, relevant plans, park equity, demographics and departmental responsibilities are also included.

Community Input
 The Plan was created with robust community engagementin mind,including online and hard copy public surveys that were available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. While engagement efforts were initially conducted in person, in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic required a shift to virtual engagementto comply with local and state health and safety orders. More than 2,000 community members accessed the survey online orby submitting hard copies to voting box stations throughout the city, with atotal of 1,632 completed surveys submitted. Public outreach also included virtual stakeholder meetings that garnered 75 community participants and targeted email blasts and communication outreach to over 400 community organizations, neighborhood associations and local stakeholder groups.

Summary of Plan Goals and Outcomes
 The final plan includes various projected goals and outcomes to ensure the implementation ofaccessible and equitable programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the Long Beach community, including the following:

  • Provide safe, accessible public spaces.
  • Offer meaningful recreation programming and events.
  • Prioritize health equity across the city.
  • Build innovative and lasting partnerships.
  • Connect internally and with the community clearly and transparently.
  • Establish an environmentally sustainable park ecosystem.
  • Ensure a dynamic and diverse workforce.

With the Plan's adoption, PRM staff will prioritize outcomes and strategies for short, medium and long-term implementation and report progress on an annual basis to the Parks andRecreation Commission. Plan progress will also be available onthe PRM website Strategic Plan webpageat LBParks.org.