Current land use in the more urban areas of the SCAG region designates 3% for parks, recreation and open space, while 25% of the land is currently vacant. Most of the open space and vacant land is located in the beaches, hills, mountains and canyons, which are generally adjacent to the higher income population, leaving only a few small parks located near lower income people.
Current land use plans call for half of the vacant land to be used for parks, recreation and open space, and most of the rest to be used for new housing. The question for land use policy is whether housing will continue to expand through urban sprawl with its negative consequences on air quality, transportation congestion and sensitive environmental habitats. An alternative is to focus development on infill and appropriate, livable increases in density, while preserving as much open space as possible. The choice is up to the people and politicians of the region.