HomeGreening Communities

Greening Communities

This project was produced by ACoM in collaboration with the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS) at UCLA as part of the Greening American Cities initiative supported by the Bezos Earth Fund.

Latest | Better Parks

Environment

Building a Bridge to Nature for Elders

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In-language

Strong Hopes for the Future of Public Parks in LA, Santa Monica

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Editorial

Open Letter to Los Angeles City Leaders — Save Our Parks

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Community

Dreaming of New Parks: Inglewood Residents Call for Pools, Splash Pads, and Spaces to Heal

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Environment

Lincoln Park, the Latino Cultural Heart of East LA

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Community

Imagining Our Community Park

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Environment

‘Earth Women’ Gives Voice and Parks to Vulnerable Communities

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Environment

L.A. Residents Remain Hopeful for a Park Life That Reflects the Needs of Its Inhabitants 

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Environment

Afghan Community Finds a Home for Nowruz Celebration in Orange County Parks

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Environment

LA Parks Come Alive as Civic Spaces Through Art and Culture

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Environment

Walking Beside Her Father-in-Law Through Dementia

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Environment

In South Los Angeles, Residents Are Turning a Place of Conflict and Violence Into a New Tranquility Park

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Environment

El arte en el parque ha sido una tradición en San Fernando

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Environment

A Tale of Two Parks: The Stages of Samoan Life in LA County

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Environment

Push to Update L.A. Parks Funding Builds Ahead of Charter Vote

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Environment

Una historia de dos parques: Las etapas de la vida samoana en el condado de Los Ángeles

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Environment

Art in the Park Has Been a Tradition in San Fernando

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Environment

A Vision for a Vibrant, Community-Focused Green Space for Downtown LA

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In-language

녹지 확충 넘어 지역 사회 ‘새 활력’ 기대

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Environment

Para nuestra comunidad de habla rusa, un festival en el parque es más que una simple celebración

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Environment

Greening the Foothills: Two Burmese Monks Spend 34 Years Building an Emerald Sanctuary in Azusa

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Environment

Bajo los árboles, recordamos: cómo la cultura árabe-estadounidense se arraiga en los parques de Los Ángeles

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Environment

Reescribiendo la historia verde de Los Ángeles: cómo el periodismo comunitario está moldeando el futuro de los parques

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In-language

洛杉矶华裔居民疾呼：城市公园紧缺，绿地成生活奢侈品

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Environment

Reverdeciendo las colinas: Dos monjes birmanos dedican 34 años a construir un santuario esmeralda en Azusa

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Environment

Residents Dream of Safe, Multi-Use Parks in Reseda and Pacoima

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Environment

The Biggest Advocate for Elephant Hill: A Mosaic of Community Organizations

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Environment

For Our Russian-Speaking Community, a Festival in the Park is More Than Just a Celebration

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Environment

How Orange County Parks Helped Bring Nowruz Home for Afghan Families

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Environment

In Southern California, Parks Inspire Home Gardens

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Push to Update L.A. Parks Funding Builds Ahead of Charter Vote

A coalition of more than 80 community organizations is urging city leaders to increase baseline funding for LA’s Department of Recreation and Parks.

Los Angeles Turns to Charter Reform to Save Its Beleaguered Park System

In the last five years, Los Angeles has plummeted from 49th to 90th place in a national ranking of park systems in the largest 100 cities in the United States.

Open Letter to Los Angeles City Leaders — Save Our Parks

More than 100,000 people provided input to LA's Parks Needs Assessment, which illustrated a system in crisis. City leaders must respond.

Walking Beside Her Father-in-Law Through Dementia

For Yunjung Lee, walks with her father-in-law, who has dementia, are part of a daily routine of care that offer moments of clarity and connection.

为老年人搭建通往自然的桥梁

对 Dr. Luna Lu 来说，自然与公园不仅仅是休闲场所，更是她在异国他乡重新认识自我、回馈社区，同时致力于提升亚太裔社区老人福祉的重要平台。

Building a Bridge to Nature for Elders

For Dr. Luna Lu, nature and parks are a platform for reconnecting with herself in a foreign land, giving back to her community, and promoting the well-being of elderly members in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
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Imagining Parks

Environment

Garden Grove Takes Action to Preserve its ‘Green Lungs’

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In-language

‘Los parques deben reflejar la diversidad cultural de la ciudad’ 

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Community

Facing Historic Park Inequity, LA Launches Park Access Initiative

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In-language

Los parques son el corazón de la comunidad

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Community

‘Access for Everyone’ — Councilman Jawane Hilton Talks Park Equity and the Power of Green Spaces

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Community

‘The Louder the People Speak, the More Change Happens’: Janny Noa on Park Equity in Carson and Beyond

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Environment

MacArthur Park, a Place for Community Organizing and Joy

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In-language

허트 시의원, LA시 공원 예산 증액 추진중

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Environment

Green Sanctuaries: Why Angelenos Love Their Parks

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Community

Artesia Mayor Ali Taj Outlines a Roadmap for Park Equity

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Community

South LA Gets New Green Space in Park-Poor Community

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Community

Park Equity in Artesia: Mayor Ali Taj on Building Fair Access for All

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Environment

The Healers of MacArthur Park

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In-language

El futuro de los parques en Los Ángeles se diseña con tu opinión

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In-language

Cierran brecha de equidad: Los parques ofrecen actividades y programas para todos 

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In-language

洛城華埠居民盼有更多綠地公園

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Community

Planting a Green Legacy in Monterey Park

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Community

Ahead of LA Olympics, Koreatown Breaks Ground with New Park

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In-language

Bell avanza en la construcción de parques usando terrenos baldíos 

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The Healers of MacArthur Park

LA's MacArthur Park has come to embody many of the city's ills, from crime to homelessness and drugs. Still, not everyone is ready to give up on it.

MacArthur Park, a Place for Community Organizing and Joy

Brenda Fernanda Verano | LA Blade The park, which is also one of the largest in the city, sits among a grand population of working-class people, immigrants, street vendors, and people dealing with mental health. 
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Park Memories

In-language

서울국제공원, 한인들의 삶과 추억이 머무는 공간

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Environment

Barnes Park: A Place Where Memories Are Made

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Uncategorized

Hazard Park: De territorio de pandillas a refugio infantil

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In-language

El parque Paramount: donde nacen los recuerdos y se heredan las tradiciones

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Community

How Urban Parks Are Uniting Divided Cities

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Community

Cerritos Heritage Park: A Haven for Southern Californians

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Environment

Hazard Park: From Gang Turf to Children’s Haven

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Community

Parks Serve as Cultural Hubs for LA’s Afghan Families

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Environment

‘We Made It Our Own’ — How Arab American Families Turned Verdugo Park Into a Living Memory

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Community

LA Park Reborn From Dormant Land Into a Small Haven

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In-language

서울국제공원, LA 한인타운의 녹색 심장

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Community

Los Angeles Parks: The Fabric of Our Lives

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Community

Hollenbeck Park is Part of the Family in Boyle Heights

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Uncategorized

Exposition Park: Sueños, Celebraciones y Rosas

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Community

James M. Foisia Park: The Heartbeat of Our Samoan Community

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Environment

Trinity Park, a Pillar of Memories From Childhood to Present Day

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Environment

Kenneth Hahn Park:  A Place to Unwind and a Healing Ground

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Community

How LA Parks Shape the Lives of Iranian Americans

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In-language

Parque Vista Hermosa, fuente de recuerdos imborrables

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Community

In John Anson Ford Park, Immigrants Feel at Home

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In-language

綠植環境有助提升市民身心健康

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Community

Paramount Park: Where Memories Are Born and Traditions Are Passed On

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Community

Parks ‘Recharge’ Orange County Vietnamese Across Generations

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In-language

El Parque Hollenbeck es parte de la familia en Boyle Heights

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In-language

En el parque John Anson Ford los inmigrantes se sienten en casa

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How LA Parks Shape the Lives of Iranian Americans

In this special in-language segment, Iranian American Angelenos reflect on how local parks shaped their childhoods, careers and loves throughout and after the pandemic.
00:30:02

LA Park Reborn From Dormant Land Into a Small Haven

A small, abandoned patch of land near a North Hollywood freeway has since become a green neighborhood sanctuary for Angelenos.
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L.A. Park Profiles

Uncategorized

Mar Vista Recreation Center: Where Immigrants and Locals Find Connection and Community in West LA

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Environment

South Park Provides Green Space to a Predominantly Latino Community

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Environment

洛杉磯公園排名大幅下滑 資源分配差異

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Uncategorized

Practican rituales de ‘apapachar’ árboles en el lincoln park para recargarse de energía

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Environment

Why Alpine Recreation Center is the First and Last Harbor for LA’s Chinatown Residents

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Uncategorized

Tony Lam Park: A Cultural Landmark for the Vietnamese-American Community

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In-language

جامعهٔ افغانی در جنوب کلیفورنیا

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Uncategorized

서울국제공원, LA 한인타운 녹지 공간 확대의 핵심

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Environment

For Burmese Americans, Veterans Park ‘Grows Community’

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Uncategorized

Foisia Park — A Cultural Hub for Carson’s Samoan Community

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Uncategorized

Parque Magic Johnson una opción de recreación y unión comunitaria en LA

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Uncategorized

아침 맑은 공기, 친목 나누고 건강 다진다도심 속 휴식터‘그리피스 파크’의 한인 시니어들

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Environment

How One Glendale Park Became a Hub for Arab and Muslim American Families

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Environment

Memories of Pre-Revolution Iran Come Alive in LA’s Balboa Park

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Uncategorized

Comunidad pide mejorías en el parque Queen Anne

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Community

Ritchie Valens Recreation Center Builds on It’s History of Community

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Uncategorized

Echo Park: Uno de los parques más antiguos de Los Ángeles es el epicentro de una comunidad multicultural y étnica

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Project Story Map

South Park Provides Green Space to a Predominantly Latino Community

Brenda Verano | LA Blade South LA Park, one of the oldest parks in Historic South Central, has brought multi-generational Angelenos together for more than a century.

Parque Magic Johnson una opción de recreación y unión comunitaria en LA

Isaac Ceja | La Opinión El parque Magic Johnson está ubicado en Willowbrook, una comunidad no incorporada en el sur del condado de Los Ángeles.

Tony Lam Park: A Cultural Landmark for the Vietnamese-American Community

Doan Trang | Saigon NHO News On a weekend morning, Tony Lam Park, named after the first Vietnamese American elected to public office in the United States is already bustling.

For Burmese Americans, Veterans Park ‘Grows Community’

Swe Swe Aye | Myanmar Gazette In a city as diverse and dynamic as Los Angeles, parks transcend their role as mere green spaces; they become essential catalysts for community building.
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Providing Shade

Uncategorized

Despite Tree Giveaway Programs in Southern CA, AAPI Don’t Fully Benefit

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Community

Near total lack of green space across LA’s Koreatown

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Environment

Multi-Billion Dollar Funding Available for Greening Low-Income Communities

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In-language

洛杉磯推動綠化 華裔社區的居民期望與合作共識

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News Exchange

Fernandeño Tataviam Tribe to Grow a Nursery of Native Trees to Alleviate Impact of Climate Change

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Uncategorized

Quieren parque más grande, pero exigen seguridad

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Uncategorized

El Rio Los Ángeles: un vinculo de las comunidades con sus orígenes y la bondad de lo verde

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Uncategorized

Urban Greening: An Interview with Artesia Mayor Pro Tem Ali Sajjad Taj

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Uncategorized

Green Shade Coverage for Extreme Heat: What LA Residents Can Do

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Environment

Los Angeles Asks Residents to Help Plan the Future of City’s Parks

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Environment

Burmese residents are vulnerable to shade disparities in the Los Angeles area

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Environment

Irvine Scores High on Green Spaces as It Becomes a City for Rich

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Uncategorized

Preserving Culture through Green Spaces: The Need for Native Plants in LA’s Greening Efforts

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Uncategorized

California’s Urban Greening Project

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Uncategorized

Beyond Planting: The Crucial Role of Maintenance in Urban Forests

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Environment

Planting a Greener, Cooler Future in Los Angeles

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Uncategorized

Over 1,000 Trees Planted in Hottest Areas of San Fernando Valley

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Environment

LA Launches National Park Equity Model

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Uncategorized

Usuarios de parques en Pico-Union piden mejoras, más áreas verdes y zonas de recreación familiar

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Uncategorized

Greening LA: Chinese Americans Collaborate

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Uncategorized

Oaxacan Nursery Owner Believes in Benefits of Fruit Trees

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LA Launches National Park Equity Model

As the national park ranking of Los Angeles plunges year after year, access to green space is at the heart of the problem.

Los Angeles Asks Residents to Help Plan the Future of City’s Parks

LA is turning to the city’s diverse residents to assess the state of more than 500 parks citywide and plot a course to fix a struggling park system.
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More Trees, Better Health

East LA, Boyle Heights Neighbors Call For More Trees, Fewer Cell Phone Antennas

Kiosko | Residents of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights are asking for more trees to mitigate heat waves and have more oxygen.

Indigenous Wisdom Consulting: A Path for LA County to Embrace Nature

Indigenous Network | Los Angeles County’s original stewards were the Tongva, the Chumash, the Tataviam, and the Acjachemen.
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Greening Schools

Pacoima Middle School Paves the Way With Living Schoolyard

San Fernando Valley Sun / El Sol | The school, in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the San Fernando Valley, is the largest greening project for LAUSD.

MacArthur Park School: Lots of Cement, Few Trees

Hispanic LA | With global warming pushing temperatures beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the lack of trees and green space has become a critical problem in schools, where youth vulnerable to the heat spend much of their lives.
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Briefings

Ranking Top 100 Cities on Urban Parks—Where We Go To Heal

May 23 | Panelists discuss the latest ParkScore report, highlight key findings from the poll, outline strategies that are working, and spotlight the cities leading the way in building more inclusive, impactful park systems.

LA Launches a National Model for Park Equity

Feb 21 | Why is park equity a key concern today for public health officials? What caused the decline? How does LA's park system compare to other cities? This briefing offers a front-row seat to the effort that LA is about to embark on, which could become a model for the nation.

What’s Behind Homeowners’ Affordability Crisis – From Insurance Rates to Climate Change

Jun 7 | Our speakers examine this issue, explain how it affects people's lives, and discuss possible solutions in which the insurance industry, government, and ordinary people play important roles.
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Partnership

Greening America's Cities