The Beach and Pier Needs Assessment Project

Santa Monica is a beachside city of 8.3 square miles on the westside of Los Angeles County with a residential population of approximately 93,000, increasing to an estimated 250,000 during the day with tourists, shoppers, and employees. The Santa Monica State Beach and Santa Monica Pier provide a variety of recreation programs and services and to continue the system's functionality in the near-term and plan for its highest and best use in the long-term, both ongoing investment into beach and pier amenities as well as visionary master planning effort are necessary. As an initial step in the City's first beach and pier vision planning process, The Beach and Pier Needs Assessment will provide a comprehensive analysis of community participation in current events, recreation and arts programs, formal and informal classes and camps, and informal general beach and pier recreation offered at the beach and pier and identify near-term and long-term prioritization of capital and program improvements based on community interest. The results of the needs assessment will be used to 1) inform The Beach and Pier Vision Plan guiding principles and 2) prioritize actionable goals and implementation strategies to meet community needs at the beach and pier.