The City of Long Beach Department of Public Works is launching an important effort to connect Drake Park and Cesar E. Chavez Park into a single, unified regional park space through a master planning process. This project aims to expand public access to open space, strengthen connections between surrounding neighborhoods, and create a continuous recreation corridor along the lower Los Angeles River.

In partnership with Stoss and the City of Long Beach, TRG is leading community engagement for the project’s design and planning phases. TRG’s outreach strategy focuses on ensuring residents have meaningful opportunities to learn about the proposed improvements, share priorities, and provide input that will shape the final design and future vision for both parks.

To achieve this, TRG is organizing community workshops designed to inform the public about the proposed updates to Drake-Chavez Park Master Planning efforts and gather direct feedback from community members. These workshops provide residents with the opportunity to learn about the project goals, review design concepts, and participate in interactive activities that identify preferred park features and recreational uses.

TRG’s community engagement plan includes:

• Multilingual communications and materials translated into Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog, to ensure accessibility for all residents.
• A dedicated project website providing up-to-date information, design concepts, and opportunities for online feedback.
• Pop-up events held within existing community gatherings and near the project area to reach residents who may not attend formal meetings.
• Youth workshops to collaborate with Long Beach’s younger residents to envision a future space they can grow up in.

Engagement efforts conducted during Fall 2025/Winter 2026 focused on gathering input to guide early design concepts, identify community priorities, and ensure the voices of the community and key groups are reflected in the planning and designs. Between October 2025 and January 2026, the project team hosted two community workshops, held one key group meeting, and engaged residents at two local community pop-up events. These combined efforts helped reach broad participation across neighborhoods, age groups, and cultural communities.