With the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project, The Trust for Public Land and the City of LA. Bureau of Sanitation are testing out the idea of converting alleys into usable open spaces that also capture rain water. Image: City of L.A. Sanitation Dept.
The new Watts Serenity Park, built by The Trust for Public Land, helps to bring nature and a place to play, relax, and exercise into the Watts neighborhood. Photo: Anne Bang
Blog Post: The Nature of Cities
In a recent blog post, The Nature of Cities, the Trust for Public Land’s Tori Kjer raises an important issue: nationally, there is a serious lack of safe places for people to exercise and play.
In her blog, Kjer discusses the important work The Trust is doing, in partnership with communities and corporate sponsors like Kaiser Permanente, to develop more sustainable neighborhoods, particularly in underserved communities.
“How can we make sure that our least-served communities have access to nature and a quality of life that includes simple improvements like shade trees, benches at bus stops, and a park at the end of the block?” asks Kjer.
One important way to do this is to work directly with these neighborhoods to design and build community-based park projects. With the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project, The Trust for Public Land and the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation are testing out the idea of converting alleys into usable open spaces that also capture rain water.
“The Trust for Public Land is working directly with underserved communities across L.A. and beyond to design and build community-based green infrastructure [parks, playground, and physical fitness spaces] and park projects.”
Such projects not only cool the city, connect communities, protect shorelines, and absorb and keep our water local. They also green, clean, and bring resources to our disadvantaged communities.
Click here to read the blog post in its entirety.