Open space is a limited and valuable resource that provides multiple benefits to those living and working in Santa Ana. It provides a place of relaxation and reprieve from the urban environment. It also offers a place to gather, celebrate, learn, or exercise, whether one is alone, with friends or family, or with other members of the community. Open space is so important that its presence (or absence) can profoundly shape the physical, social, mental, and economic health and well-being of our communities.
The City boasts dozens of parks and joint use facilities, hundreds of recreational programs and classes, and miles of off-street trails weaving through neighborhoods and along the Santa Ana River. These varied resources provide hundreds of acres for public open space and recreation.
The City continues to explore ways to provide more open space and a more equitable distribution across our many communities. The demands for new open space and the pressures on existing open space will rise alongside planned growth on our corridors and around current and future activity centers.
To create more open space in an urban environment where nearly every parcel is developed requires new approaches, creative solutions, and strong partnerships. A parks master plan is underway to better define and guide the City’s strategies and investments in the coming years. The City will also continue to engage with regional partners to expand the public use and connectivity of the Santa Ana River Parkway.