Lake Forest focus groups: residents satisfied with parks, request more events, multicultural programming and better outreach

City staff and their consultant told the Community Services Commission on Feb. 5 that focus groups conducted in late 2024 show high resident satisfaction with Lake Forest’s parks and facilities but reveal gaps in awareness, outreach and program diversity that staff say they will address in the strategic planning and budget process.

“Qualitative research is not quantitative,” said JB Fabridge of Cultural Edge during the presentation, explaining why focus groups surface ideas and priorities that a survey alone might miss. Fabridge told commissioners the consultant conducted six focus groups representing a range of ages, Spanish‑language dominant and bicultural Latino residents, Asian American residents and a general population sample to capture differences in awareness and program preferences.

Top takeaways presented by Fabridge and by Jonathan Voltski, the city’s communications and marketing manager, included: high overall satisfaction with city facilities (especially Lake Forest Sport Park), low awareness of rental and program opportunities among younger residents and Spanish‑dominant Latinos, and a strong…