Green Access and Equity for Los Angeles County 2011

Posted: April 6th, 2011

The City Project presents the policy report, Healthy Parks, Schools and Communities: Green Access and Equity for Los Angeles County 2011, to promote equal access to parks and recreation for all. Haga click aquí para ver este mensaje en Español.

According to Anthony Iton, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Senior Vice President, Healthy Communities, The California Endowment:

The California Endowment funded a study in late 2010 that shows nearly all segments of the voting population view childhood obesity as a very serious problem in the state, with African-Americans, Latinos and low-income voters particularly concerned.

Of those surveyed, 89% support requiring physical education classes for four years in high school. A similar percentage (88%) favors requiring school gyms, tracks, playgrounds and fields to be open to children when school is not in session. And 87% back the idea of cities making street improvements so that it is easier to bike, ride and walk. These are all recommendations supported in this report by The City Project, funded in part by the Endowment.

Whether you are a parent, concerned citizen, educator, elected official or activist, we hope this report will be useful in your efforts to make your community a healthy environment.

According to Martin H. Blank, Jr., Trustee, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation:

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation is deeply committed to improving the health of children in Los Angeles County. We hope that escalating rates of childhood obesity and diabetes can be reversed by providing more opportunities for children to play and exercise every day.

The Foundation is a proud supporter of The City Project’s efforts to change policy, improve access to green space, and promote healthy, livable communities for all.

We have seen our investment in The City Project yield impressive returns, such as new urban parks and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s adoption of a plan to enforce physical education requirements at all schools.

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Seth Strongin, Policy and Research Director for The City Project and a lead author of the Report, concludes: “Parks and green space are not a luxury. Prioritizing existing public resources for creating and improving access to green space in low-income communities and communities of color offers an exceptional opportunity to improve public health, environmental quality, economic vitality and quality of life for all.”

Click here to see the report and maps on Healthy Parks, Schools and Communities: Green Access and Equity for Los Angeles County 2011 in English.

Haga click aquí para ver el reporte y mapas de Parques, Escuelas y Comunidades Saludables: Acceso Verde y Equidad en el Condado de Los Angeles 2011en Español.

Click here to view other reports and maps in The City Project’s continuing series on Green Access and Equity for nine counties in Southern California.