What is joint use? Joint use is a simple concept: a piece of property can have multiple uses such as playgrounds and ball fields being used as a school yard during the school day and as a public park after school and on weekends. One of the most common joint use arrangements in other cities is schools and parks. Since 1938 New York City has jointly-operated playgrounds that are managed by the schools during the day and the Parks Department at all other times. Many other activities may also lend themselves to joint use with schools: libraries, child care centers, adult education, community centers and affordable housing.
Some examples of joint use in Southern California include:
- The Elizabeth Learning Center in Cudahy, which has a school serving pre-kindergarten–12 grade students, a child care cooperative and an adult education program
- Edison School/Pacific Park in Glendale, which includes a new elementary school, community center, library and park expansion
- City Heights Initiative in San Diego, which includes a library, a swimming pool, a tennis center, a performance annex, a community center, a Head Start facility, a police substation, an elementary school and a continuing education center
In Los Angeles, school construction will continue to be the largest redevelopment effort with the power to reshape neighborhoods over the next 20 years. Given the shortage of parks in Los Angeles, the school district has adopted a policy to pursue joint use where appropriate. The more limited the supply of land, the more joint use makes sense.
