Parks After Dark Evaluation Brief, July 2023

Summary: In this infographic brief, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research provides information from their evaluation of the 2022 Parks After Dark (PAD) program in Los Angeles County. 

PAD is a Los Angeles County initiative led by the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in partnership with other County departments and community-based organizations. PAD is implemented in Los Angeles County areas with high levels of violence, obesity, and economic hardship. Thirty-four DPR parks hosted PAD between June and August 2022, after a two-year halt in programming because of the COVID-19 pandemic. PAD was offered three nights a week for eight weeks, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. 

PAD has 7 overarching goals:

• Decrease community violence and increase safety
• Facilitate cross-sector collaborations in park communities and countywide 
• Increase social cohesion and family and community well-being 
• Increase access to free recreational programming, health, and social services that reflect the interests and needs of communities served 
• Increase physical activity and decrease chronic disease risk 
• Contribute to positive youth development 
• Achieve cost savings

Read the Publications: 

• Policy Brief: Parks After Dark Evaluation Brief, July 2023 (English)
• Policy Brief: Parks After Dark Evaluation Brief, July 2023 (Spanish)
• Parks After Dark Evaluation Report, July 2023
• Parks After Dark Evaluation Brief, 2018
• Parks After Dark Evaluation Report, 2018
• Parks After Dark Evaluation Brief, 2017
• Parks After Dark Evaluation Report, 2017
• Press Release