Examining facilitators and challenges to implementing equitable green space policies: Lessons from Los Angeles County

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many cities and counties in the U.S. have recently passed equity-oriented policies to improve access to green space for disadvantaged communities. However, the implementation of these policies could limit their intended outcomes, and scant research has focused on their implementation. To address these knowledge gaps, we explored the facilitators and challenges to effectively implementing equity-oriented policies that dedicate green space funding to low-income communities of color in Los Angeles County. We conducted interviews with 25 green space practitioners (in public agencies and nonprofits) and participant observation at 28 meetings. We found that facilitators of equitable implementation include nonprofit advocacy and technical assistance programs, while challenges include limited capacity and funding for nonprofits and cities, politics and bureaucracy, and market conditions. Our results align with policy process theories describing actors and streams in policymaking, and call for consideration of how systemic issues such as structural racism hinder equitable implementation.