The May issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of the podcast, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories, “From Plans to Parks.” In this article, Clement Lau details how the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is implementing equity-focused park and recreation plans to ensure that communities with the highest need for parks are prioritized.

Clement Lau, AICP, is a departmental facilities planner for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to park planning. He’s worked in the field for over two decades, and regularly contributes his expertise to Parks & Recreation magazine and the Open Space blog, so we’re excited to finally welcome him to the podcast to talk about how keeping equity at the center of park planning will ensure park and recreation professionals are able to serve every member of their community.

Tune in below to learn about what sparked Clement’s passion for planning and why he wanted to pursue a career in the field, as well as:

• How the Los Angeles County DPR creates plans with equity and implementation in mind, ensuring that the plans prioritize communities with the greatest need.
• How the Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment’s 2016 findings were so compelling that the county board of supervisors decided to put a parks funding measure on the ballot, which passed with overwhelming support.
• How strategic community partnerships have helped Los Angeles County DPR’s efforts to address the needs of six communities with the highest need for parks in Los Angeles County.
• How Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park is “an oasis in a region lacking green space.”
• Why the stories and experiences that take place in our parks and community spaces are more important than always focusing on data and metrics, and more!

Listen to the episode for the full story.