NEWS – Last week, Representatives Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), introduced a bipartisan bill to provide an historic one-time stimulus of $500 million for urban parks.
As in Long Beach, local parks across the nation are at risk because of tightening state and local budgets that have only exacerbated due to the pandemic and economic downturn.
Coined as the Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act, the bill would provide a funding boost for local and urban park projects. The idea is to ensure that investments are quickly executed to help communities recover from dual public health and economic crises.
Looking through a clear equity lens Representative Barragan reflected how “low-income communities and communities of color often lack equal access to local parks.” Her concern resonates in Long Beach where according to the 9th District office Uptown Open Space Vision Plan, park-poor neighborhoods within the I-710 corridor bear a disproportionate share of negative impacts resulting from the operation of the I-710 Freeway and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Greater park access also brings much needed jobs to hard hit local economies. “From places to sit in the shade, to spaces to exercise in the fresh air, to local job creators, urban parks bring so much value to our communities, especially during this public health emergency,” Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán remarked.
Finding ways to improve our local environment as well as stimulate our local economy is important for Long Beach residents who face some of the worst national rates of pollution. In a grant sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, researchers found that areas such as North Long Beach “receive few of the benefits derived from the $3 billion in goods that are transported through their neighborhoods that arrive through the two ports.”
It’s worth noting that during a February 25th presentation to our City's Sustainability Commission, both the Port Director of Environmental Planning, Matt Arms, and Commissioners remarked that the ports profits had substantially increased during the pandemic.
President of the De Forest Park Neighborhood Association, Dan Pressburg, has his eye set on smart ways to stimulate the local economy as well as help improve the environmental challenges facing his neighborhood.
He’s recently launched an idea for an E-Bike tour along the LA river that would connect Long Beach tourists to beautiful wetlands such as De Forest Park (see full plan here). Pressburg hopes that his idea will help to heal a “history of inequities that continue to divide the areas between North and Downtown Long Beach along economic, racial, environmental and health fault lines.”
Since most tourism and leisure activity in our City centers around the Coast and Downtown. The LA River as an untapped resource, it's capable of bridging the widening health, pollution and wealth gaps.
“Imagine if Cruise ship our Shoreline Village tourists could enjoy a leisure E-Bike ride to see and experience Long Beach views and wetlands along the LA River,” Pressburg explains from the porch of his historic Dairy Creamer home nestled in the underserved 9th District.
Aside from what a project like this could do to encourage the City to restore wetlands Pressburg sees this as a youth job opportunity as well. A River E-Bike Ride has the added benefit of employing underserved youth in an emerging technology while building pride in the value of their neighborhood,” said Pressburg.
What’s encouraging is that Congresswoman Barragán bipartisan bill fits seamlessly into the LA River Revitalization project championed by Speaker of the California Assembly, Anthony Anthony Rendon (D). Long overdue, the RiverLink Plan would use the Los Angeles River as a regional activity trail for bicycling, walking, running and equestrians where available.
A coalition of more than 200 national regional, and local parks organizations support the legislation. Of the $500 million, 50 percent is designated for low-income communities to create jobs, improve local economies and address park inequity. In addition, two percent of funds will be allocated by the Interior Department to Indian Tribes.
If enacted, Congresswoman Barragán estimates the Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act would create more than 8,000 new jobs, add $1.37 billion to local economies and fund more than 1,000 new or upgraded local parks.
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