Bringing Parks to People And People to Parks By Robert Garcia and Seth Strongin from The City Project


In Los Angeles, the neighborhood you live in, the color of your skin, and how much money you have impacts your health and quality of life. One reason for this is that people of color and low-income people disproportionately lack access to parks, open spaces and recreational programs for physical activity. Children of color living in poverty with no access to a car suffer first and worst in terms of access to parks and opportunities for physical activity. People who lack access to parks are deprived of the benefits of green space, including improved physical and mental health, the full development of the child including improved academic performance, positive alternatives to gangs, crime drugs and violence, social cohesion, economic vitality including green local jobs, and other values.


But there is hope. Community allies including The City Project, Anahuak Youth Soccer Association, and Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles are working with the MRCA and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to improve park access for urban residents. Programs such as Transit to Trails take urban youth on fun and educational trips to the mountains, rivers, and beaches. New urban parks, including Vista Hermosa, Compton Creek, and Augustus F. Hawkins Natural Park, have been created, providing oases in the midst of the concrete. And employment programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps are creating truly green collar jobs. These initiatives are made possible through partnerships between community organizations and the MRCA and, of course, with participation by local community members. There is a lot more work to be done to ensure that all people in Los Angeles have access to parks and open spaces but, together, we can make positive changes to improve people’s lives.


For more information on park access and equity, please visit our partner, The City Project at www.cityprojectca.org.


Augustus F. Hawkins Natural Park Photo by Karin Mueller


8 Symbiosis


Map from The City Project, CC by SA NC


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