If you value independent local news, become a sustainer today. Your gift could help unlock a $1M challenge.
Low-Income Communities Have Less Park Space Than More Affluent Neighborhoods. That's Starting To Change
Looking out from Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area towards Downtown Los Angeles. Aside from these views of the skyline most of the hike through the park feels isolated from the outside world.
(
Chava Sanchez
/
LAist
)
The 51st Street Greenbelt Park project in North Long Beach has secured $2 million in funding to transform from a dirt lot near the Los Angeles River into a green space with trees, fitness equipment and plants that naturally remove pollutants from rainwater runoff.
Why it matters
Congressmember Nanette Barragán, who represents a large part of North Long Beach, helped secure the federal funding. She says half of L.A.'s population lives in neighborhoods without access to parks and open spaces.
"[Low-income and communities of color] have less than 10% of park acreage per resident than, say, more affluent areas in East Long Beach," she said. Last year, a report from the non-profit Trust for Public Land revealed that communities of color have 43% less park space than white neighborhoods.
About the 51st Street Greenbelt project
The park will have fitness equipment, a play area for kids, a natural walking trail and more. Barragán says it's important for "these neighborhoods to have green spaces for their kids, for [wellness], and for mental health reasons. She says "It's good for getting to know your neighbors."
Sponsored message
How parks help with the climate crisis
Barragán noted that parks provide a cooling effect that help combat the urban heat island effect — when pavement, buildings and other surfaces absorb and retain heat.
"Having more tree canopy and shade — it's going to help reduce air pollution by sequestering carbon and other toxins and improve water quality by removing contaminants from stormwater runoff," she said. "So this is really a greater effort to [help] these communities combat the climate injustice that they have and the lack of green space."
What's next
Barragán's spokesperson Kevin McGuire says there's no timeline on the project, but it could be completed in five years. But Barragán expects an additional $15 million and a new round of community-funded projects for more urban parks later this year.
Trending on LAist
-
The city parks department is seeking community input on a plan to replace a tennis court at Hermon Park with pickleball. -
A high school in the San Fernando Valley is in the midst of a $274 million renovation that demonstrates the longevity of school bonds. -
This blue box, which was engineered by the late Grant Imahara, is looking for handy Whovians who can help give it a facelift. -
Advocates on and off campus are preparing to help international students. -
In 2015, the first Taco Bell was moved with great fanfare from its OG location in Downey to the fast food chain's corporate HQ in Irvine. Ten years later, it's still there — murmurs of possible renovation and relocation notwithstanding. -
There are at least 63,000 students with disabilities in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and many may be exempted from the district’s restrictive cellphone policy.
Best of LAist
