Neighborhood Resource Gardens
Cultivate Civic Well-being, Resilience, & Beauty
WHY:
Only 63% of LA residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. - Trust for Public Land
LA’s Recreation & Parks’ strategic plan, Park Proud LA proposes: “Every Angeleno has walkable access to a park in their neighborhood regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.” It recommends “a new Community School Park program...to increase access to playgrounds and open space for 200k Angelenos living in the highest park need areas.”
Resilient Los Angeles is LA's call to action to establish resiliency hubs in every neighborhood by providing “tools & training”, as well as opportunities to connect community leaders and leverage organizational networks.
Many public and private sector resources are allocated to address urgent challenges to the equity and welfare of individuals and communities identified by reports like these advocating safe outdoor places to play and socialize.
Lack of identification, co-ordination and accountability of available resources often leads to friction in allocation and execution that exacerbates urgent need.
HOW:
Identify and collaborate with established organizations by aligning their missions (education, environment, gardens, public health, safety, social welfare, water) to amplify the impact of existing initiatives and resources (projects, programs, locations).
For example: Garden School Foundation’s programs Seed to Table & Cafeteria to Compost could be shared at more locations including some of LA Community Garden Council’s 150+ neighborhood sites, plus connecting with California Native Plant Society’s Calscape and LA County’s SmartGardening Program, in addition to initiatives supported by groups like the Los Angeles Living Schoolyards Coalition and GreenSpaceLA, and ClimateResolve Resilience Hubs.
WHO:
WHEN & WHERE:
Overlaying “shared use” of existing open spaces (schoolyards, parks, libraries, vacant lots, etc.) with resiliency hubs could quickly and efficiently activate NRGs NOW to be in every neighborhood throughout LA by the 2028 Olympics.
The impact zone of each site extends well beyond individual locations to serve entire neighborhoods.
Fostering community connections, individual empathy and empowerment, increases neighborhood bonds and safety.
Environmental education provides students of all ages critical information to improve their own health and well-being as well as the Earth’s, as well as advancing health and sustainability of environments and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.
For example, many public schools already serve as centrally located community hubs and offer an ideal NRG location.
Help grow one near you!
NEXT STEPS:
Implement 1-3 proof of concept locations and connect existing community resources to activate, program and maintain them.
Invite potential partners to Civicas Women’s Civic Action Network Spring Forum using NRGs as case study for CivicASK
Identify, connect, engage and register resources including:
• Funding (Gifts, Grants, Government, Crowdfunding),
• Volunteerism (government service corps, employee service programs, CBOs),
• Materials & Services (for-profit, pro bono),
• Businesses (urban gardens, education, recreation, emergency preparations),
• Residents (neighborhood groups, PTA, parents, teachers, students, disaster prep)• Philanthropy/Foundations (grants, programs, projects).
Engage more locations, individuals and community groups while connecting with larger entities in LA, and beyond (government, NGOs, residents, philanthropies, foundations, businesses) to connect resources that activate, program, maintain and network these sites.
Entities will participate and help grow the initiative by offering existing resources and also asking for those still needed to qualify their programs/projects/locations as Neighborhood Resource Gardens
LEADERSHIP:
Cynthia Hirschhorn founded Unycyn Civic Arts to synthesize her expertise in architecture and environmental design with her passions for LA, urban gardens, civic art, water, and connecting civic resources to foster community partnerships.
For more information please contact Cynthia@unycyn.com
WEDEW (Wood To Energy Deployable Emergency Water):
Additional Option for Selected Sites
This resource collection machine in a shipping container won the 2018 XPrize Grand Prize for Water Abundance.
A WEDEW dehydrates biomass green waste (wood chips, green waste, etc.) to produce 25kWh of clean renewable energy, 300+ gallons of water a day, biochar soil enhancement, all while absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere to be carbon negative.
Cultivating and sustaining NRGs including provide STEAM education, jobs & community disaster preparation.
