Healthy Parks, Schools and Communities: Green Access and Equity for the Southern California Region

The City Project's policy report, "Healthy Parks, Schools and Communities: Mapping Green Access and Equity for Southern California," maps and analyzes park access and equity in the nine counties of the Southern California region. While there is an abundance of green space throughout the region as a whole, not all residents enjoy equal access to these resources. Throughout each of the counties and the Southern California region a similar pattern generally exists: Children of color living in poverty with no access to a car suffer first and worst in terms of access to green space and opportunities for physical activity. They suffer from the highest levels of obesity and are disproportionately at risk for crimes, drugs and violence. Disparities in access to green space are not a function of unplanned growth or an efficient free market in land. Disparities are a continuing legacy and pattern of the history of discrimination in land use, racially restrictive housing housing covenants, discriminatory mortgage policies, and discrimination in education and economic policies. The City Project with diverse allies uses this mapping and analysis to support equitable infrastructure investments, including equal access to parks and recreation, joint use of schools, pools and parks, quality education including physical education, and improved public health and quality of life for all. Equal access to public resources is required under equal justice laws and principles including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations, and parallel state laws. Data provided and map prepared by Amanda Recinos of GreenInfo Network (www.greeninfo.org), in consultation with The City Project, using CPAD (California Public Access Database) and 2000 census data.