With a goal of creating accessible park spaces and recreation programs that meet the needs of San Diegans, the City of San Diego launched a new Equity in Parks and Recreation webpage that highlights the impact of investments in addressing longstanding inequities in the City’s park and recreation system. 

Unveiled as part of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Equity Report, the webpage highlights new and ongoing programs and initiatives that aim to improve park access, facilities and programs across San Diego’s diverse communities. Over the past five years, the City has focused on advancing equity through intentional planning, inclusive engagement, and ensuring that funding is directed to all neighborhoods. 

Through the “Parks For All of Us” Parks Master Plan, adopted in 2021, the Parks and Recreation Department established a more equitable funding process for park facility construction and improvement projects. In 2024, $15.9 million was allocated to 19 park projects as a result of the new process, which allows for funds paid by developers to be spent citywide instead of being reserved for the communities where they were collected.  

Parks For All of Us projects include Beyer Community Park in San Ysidro, Carmel Mountain Ranch Pool ADA upgrades, Clay Neighborhood Park improvements, Memorial Community Park field and security lighting, and many more. 

“An accessible local park system in each community is an essential service, as it provides safe parks, recreational programs and green spaces that encourage greater physical activity, provide positive health benefits, strengthen community engagement, expand economic opportunity and improve environmental quality,” said Andy Field, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. “We recognize that, historically, some communities have seen greater investment than others in their parks and recreation services, and it is important to make equitable investments so all communities can access and enjoy the same recreational benefits.” 

Presented Wednesday to the City Council’s Community and Neighborhood Services Committee, the 2025 Parks and Recreation Equity Report highlights equity efforts citywide within all facets, including parks, open spaces, recreation centers, aquatic complexes and recreational programs. The Parks and Recreation Department’s approach to improving its park system has been fundamentally transformed through the adoption of four key guiding documents that prioritize equity, inclusion, and community-centered planning. These documents are the Parks Master Plan (2021), the City’s Strategic Plan (2022), the Performance Audit of Equity in Recreation Programming (2022) and the Tactical Equity Plan (2023). 

The Parks and Recreation Department’s Tactical Equity Plan outlines five strategic goals to guide the enhancement of parks, recreational opportunities, employee well-being, and environmental stewardship. These goals are rooted in the principles of equity, sustainability and community engagement. The newly launched Equity in Parks and Recreation webpage provides a one-stop shop for the public to review the department’s equity efforts, including reports, related documents, ways to share input, and how to participate in parks and recreation programs. 

Visit the Equity in Parks and Recreation website for additional information. 

About Parks and Recreation 

The City’s Parks and Recreation Department manages more than 40,000 acres of park assets, including more than 400 parks, 26 miles of shoreline, 60 recreation centers, 15 pools, 13 skate parks and plazas and three golf courses. For additional information regarding the City’s park system, visit sandiego.gov/parks-and-recreation.