Newsletter
Spring 2007
Principles for Equal Justice and
Healthy Parks, Schools and
Communities
The City Project and the Alianza
have presented10 principles for equal
justice in planning healthy parks,
schools, and communities, and revitalizing
the river.
Principle 1. Infrastructure decisions
involving natural public places
have widespread impacts on health,
housing, development, investment
patterns, and quality of life. The decision-making process and outcomes of
those decisions must be fair and beneficial
to all.
Principle 2. Infrastructure investments
should be guided by a regional
vision for a comprehensive web of
communities, parks, schools, beaches,
forests, rivers, mountains, and transit
to trails to achieve results that are equitable;
promote human health, the
environment, and economic vitality;
and serve diverse community needs.
Principle 3. Infrastructure areas
should be planned together in complementary
rather than conflicting ways
to serve health, education, and human
service needs; to fulfill critical governmental
and societal responsibilities;
and to produce equitable results.
Principle 4. Budget priorities
within infrastructure areas should be
thoroughly assessed through an equity
lens. For example, there is a need for
both active and passive recreation in
natural public places. Urban and wilderness
park advocates should work
together. Schools must develop the
body and mind of the child through
physical education as well as academics.
Principle 5. Employment and economic
benefits associated with building
and maintaining infrastructure,
including parks, schools, and other
natural public places, should be distributed
fairly among all communities.
Principle 6. Revenues to support
infrastructure improvements, including parks, schools, and other natural
public places, should be collected and
allocated fairly to distribute the benefits
and burdens of these projects, and
to overcome the pattern and history of
unfair park, school, and health disparities.
Principle 7. Infrastructure decision-making should be transparent
and include mechanisms for everyone
to contribute to the planning and policymaking
process.
Principle 8. Standards for measuring
equity and progress should be articulated
and implemented to hold
agencies accountable for building
healthy, livable communities for all.
Principle 9. Infrastructure investments
and decisions involving natural
public places, should proactively
comply with federal and state laws
designed to achieve equal access to
public resources, including Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its
implementing regulations, California
Government Code 11135, and the
California statutory definition of environmental
justice. Compliance with
civil rights and environmental laws
should be combined.
Principle 10. Government agencies
and the philanthropic community
must dedicate resources to enable
community based organizations to
serve their communities and actively
participate in infrastructure planning
and investments.
|
