Concrete Divide: North Orange County Falls Short on Parks 

For Irvine resident Anna Protopappas, parks have always been more than just green space — they’re where her children grew up healthy and happy.

“They could get their energy out, run, get vitamin D — it’s the healthiest form of play,” she said. “Every child should have that.”

But for many Orange County families, that opportunity is out of reach.

While Irvine ranks second in the nation for parks, about half of Orange County’s cities — mostly in the north and central regions — fall below California’s standard of three acres of park space per 1,000 residents, raising concerns about equity, public health and quality of life.

Karen Lincoln, professor of environmental and occupational health at UC Irvine, said investing in parks means investing in people.

“If you say parks are a low priority