Subdividing Paradise

Los Angeles is overflowing with an abundance of nature. So why isn't the city more readily available to the public in the form of parks, asks D.J. Waldie.

1 minute read

October 7, 2005, 1:00 PM PDT

By Brenda Meyer

"Eden is subdivided in Los Angeles, and paradise is thickly planted with signs that read "Immediate Armed Response." And the public land that isn't being privatized is callously insufficient. New York sets aside nearly 19% of its land area as recreational open space. L.A. residents have half that.

...This is the paradox of nature in this city and among the reasons that lush L.A. also is park poor. From the right perspective, the city's tens of thousands of suburban house lots merge into a green savanna. Even in neighborhoods you won't drive though, roses scent the air, oranges hang in clusters and ripe peaches drop uneaten."

FULL STORY: Eden's need for green

Thursday, October 6, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

History / Preservation Land Use Landscape Architecture California

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