Should Urban Parks be Cash Registers?
Threats to openness, tranquility,and green spaces take many forms. Locally, LA's urban parks are increasingly under pressure to generate revenue to pay for municipal functions, but at a heavy cost: The loss of the very openness that makes urban parks so valuable.
Nobody likes to pay taxes. Yet municipal governments need money. From parking violations fees to sewer fees, governments seek funds for general purposes. Urban parks have not been immune.
There are many ways to squeeze funds out of urban parks. Some are entry fees, parking fees, and feebased services.