California Youth Leaders Prioritize #Parks4All€¦ · underway in our Building Healthy Communities...

1 THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT health happens here

As part of a ten-year statewide initiative, The California Endowment is working in partnership with local communities to create places where children and youth are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. This Health Happens Here newsletter lifts up successful work underway in our Building Healthy Communities sites and throughout California, effective models that can influence and shape policy at the local, state, and national level.

California Youth Leaders Prioritize #Parks4All

Winter 2015–2016

“I still have a scar on my hip and my arm,”

says Marcos Olascoaga, recalling the day

he was hit by an SUV while riding his

skateboard on the streets of San Diego’s

City Heights neighborhood. “I was on the

sidewalk and this guy was coming out of

a driveway. He got me, and I flew into

the street.”

Miraculously, Olascoaga escaped the

accident without internal injuries or broken

bones. When his cuts and bruises healed

enough to allow him to return to his

volunteer position with the City Heights

Mid-City CAN (Community Action Network)

Youth Council, he had a question for his

friends and neighbors: Why aren’t there any

skate parks in City Heights?

CONTINUES ON PAGE 4

BHC Sites Build Power to Improve Community Health


Welcome to the all-new Health Happens Here newsletter. Starting with this issue, we are

going all-digital. This new format is easier to share with your friends, and it will save a few

trees, too!

That’s an especially appropriate goal, given the environmental theme of this issue. This edition

of Health Happens Here is all about parks and park advocacy.

Our cover tells the story of a tireless band of youth advocates working to bring a skate park to

City Heights, a Building Healthy Communities site located in a park-poor area of San Diego.

And don’t miss Banned in Fresno, which describes the almost unbelievable odyssey of a bus

advertisement exposing park disparities in the Central Valley city.

I love parks. They are so important to our communities.

Some reasons are obvious. Parks provide a place where families can be active and get the

exercise they need to stay healthy. Plants and trees clean the air, and unpaved land can help

capture storm runoff and recharge groundwater supplies. Check out our infographic for a

more complete illustration of the many ways that parks improve neighborhoods.

One important benefit of parks is often overlooked, and it’s especially near and dear to my

heart—power. I’m not talking about the kind of power that turns on the lights. I mean the

power to make your voice heard when it matters most.

Parks are neighborhood gathering places, where community issues are often discussed. I

think our state’s politics would be immeasurably different if legislators spent less time talking

to lobbyists and more time listening to parents and caregivers standing in circles around the

playground while their kids climb and swing.

Advocates are born in parks. Maybe they make their first call to City Hall after the soccer game

is cancelled because the lights don’t work or the morning stroller walk becomes dangerous

because of cracks or gaps in the pavement.

In our Building Healthy Communities sites, residents are demanding park equity. Tired of

being overlooked and underinvested, they want the same quality parks that are found on the

wealthy side of town.

I am especially excited by this energy around park advocacy, because I know it can last for the

long term. What starts as a call to fix broken streetlights or open new playgrounds can evolve

into a broader campaign for health, equity, and fairness.

That’s what Building Healthy Communities is all about—and our path to success runs directly

through your neighborhood park.

Editor’s Note: The Power of Parks

Anthony Iton

Anthony Iton is Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment.

3 THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT health happens here THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT health happens here 3

HEALTH!People who live near parks get more physical activity. That means better health and lower health care costs.

Community CohesionParks bring neighbors together to discuss local issues and organize for change.

PROPERTY VALUEHomes near quality parks are worth more.

JOBSCompanies seek to expand in healthy communities

Environmental ProtectionTrees in city parks remove pollution from the air. Grass and gardens absorb rainfall, reducing storm runoff and �ooding risk.

HOW PARKS BENEFIT COMMUNITIESHOW PARKS BENEFIT COMMUNITIES

$ $

$$

NOWHIRING


San Diego practically created California’s surfing and skateboarding culture, and there were great skate parks in the suburbs. Why was City Heights left out?

The Youth Council, which advises the City Heights Building Healthy Community site and manages youth-led grassroots campaigns, quickly embraced the idea of advocating for a local skate park. The council also launched a broader study of park space in the lower-income neighborhood.

Examining official city records, the Youth Council confirmed that the neighborhood lacked the park space needed to support its 80,000 residents. City guidelines recommend a minimum of 2.8 acres of parkland for every 1,000 people . City Heights was 100 acres short. The skate park situation was as dire as they had suspected. Surveys showed that scores of local residents were passionate skaters, but the nearest dedicated skate park was 30 minutes away.

The youth advocates in City Heights didn’t know it at the time, but a group of teens in Fresno was also scrutinizing official records and reaching similar conclusions about parks. They found that communities located in lower-income south Fresno neighborhoods had only 1.02 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, compared to 4.62 acres in the more prosperous north. When local advocates tried to spark a conversation about this parks disparity, the city censored their message (see story, page 6).

In both cities, official records provided the credible backup needed to support grassroots campaigns, but the youth advocates’ learning agenda went deeper, explains Steve Eldred, HUB Manager for Building Healthy Communities, City Heights. “We needed to learn about urban planning and the Parks Master Plan. That gave us

the ammunition we needed to make our best case and build a campaign roadmap.”

San Diego youth leaders conducted a formal power analysis exercise to guide their strategic plan. “We identified everyone who was a decision maker and figured how we could reach all the key players. The power analysis showed that our campaign was winnable, but we had to get the community—including local homeowners—on our side,” said Terry Stanley, who leads the Mid-City CAN Youth Council.

Council members spent many months meeting with individual homeowners and homeowner’s associations to learn about their concerns. Advocates agreed to make changes to their skate park proposals to mitigate neighborhood worries about noise and traffic. With those concerns largely resolved, the campaign focused on how additional park space could improve community health.

Homeowners were impressed, and many endorsed the skate park plan.

“Everyone knows we have an obesity crisis in the United States, and one of the leading causes of that crisis is a lack of physical activity. Study after study has shown that access to safe places to play is associated with increased physical activity. If you build a park, kids will play,” said Susan Babey, a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Scientist, who evaluated the advocacy effort for The California Endowment.

In addition to parks’ effect on health,

advocates also emphasized how open space could boost the local economy by increasing foot traffic, bringing in people from outside the community, improving the image of local neighborhoods and increasing property values. They also explained that the skate park plan included hundreds of new trees and shrubs, which not only beautify the neighborhood but help clean the air.

Get Ready to Skate in City Heights!

“Study after study has shown that access to safe places to play is associated with increased physical activity. If you build a park, kids will play”

– Susan Babey, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Scientist

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Community leaders break ground on the new City Heights skate plaza


And, if El Niño storms hit California this winter with the ferocity that many predict, the additional drainage offered

by unpaved park land could help guard against flash floods (see page 3 for a list of ways that parks benefit local communities).

With local residents on their side, advocates next targeted members of the City Recreation Council. They packed one of the council’s regular meetings, and presented a petition signed by 300 residents formally asking the city to build a skate park.

Advocates also took advantage of the political process. During the next year’s City Council elections, they asked candidates to publicly commit to supporting the skate park—and they did. The winner of that election ultimately became one of the skate park’s biggest advocates.

“We never relaxed even after local officials expressed their support. We kept meeting with them, checking in. We wanted to show them that we wouldn’t go away,” said Terry Stanley, the Youth Council Coordinator.

To keep the momentum moving forward, Stanley and his team staged a rally at a local elementary school illustrating how the new skate park could promote a healthier City Heights. The event transformed an underused area into a temporary skate park complete with portable rails and ramps. The idea was to show local residents and

community leaders what a completed skate park might look like. The rally was fun and generated tremendous

buzz, both inside and outside the neighborhood.

The park coalition picked up an unexpected ally in skateboarding

legend Tony Hawk, whose personal foundation supports skate parks across the nation.

“There was a lot of excitement there,” said Peter Whitley, programs director at The Tony Hawk Foundation. The Hawk Foundation’s support spread throughout Southern California’s tight-knit skating community, further increasing momentum for the project.

Eventually, local elected officials and parks leaders got fully on board. Funding was ultimately approved for a skate plaza, which was smaller than the full park originally envisioned but still a huge victory for local advocates. Construction on the plaza is currently underway and Mid-City CAN has been involved at every stage of the design and construction process. The skate plaza is scheduled to open in mid-2016, and organizers promise a legendary opening day party.

Reflecting on the success, Terry Stanley offers this advice young people advocating for parks and other healthy neighborhood improvements: “Don’t be afraid to let your voice be heard. A voice is powerful. Use it.”

Ideas for a successful park advocacy campaign

“Don’t be afraid to let your voice be heard. A voice is powerful. Use it.”

– Terry Stanley, Mid-City CAN Youth Council

City Heights youth advocates worked with landscape architects to design the skate plaza.

City Heights Skate PlazaOpening Summer 2016

• Have local residents identify their greatest needs Soccer field or skate park? They know!

• Assess parks and open space resources Scrutinize city records and visit less-known assets

• Use power analysis to identify key decisionmakers You may have allies you don’t expect

• Engage with elected leaders Local leaders listen when their constituents speak

• Build alliances Local and national park advocacy groups want to help

• Have fun! City Heights’ best organizing tool was a temporary skate

park that showed residents what the final product might look like


Banned in Fresno!How a Censored Advertisement Became a Community Rallying Cry

Local advocates scored a major victory when Fresno agreed

to develop a Parks Master Plan in 2013, as part of the city’s

General Plan Update. The plan hadn’t been updated in more

than 30 years and was woefully out of date.

Advocates were especially eager to improve the park system

in South Fresno, which has fewer parks than the wealthier

neighborhoods in the north end of the city.

Many South Fresno parks were also poorly maintained and

considered unsafe by local residents. The park disparity

mirrors wider trends that have made South Fresno the least

healthy and most economically challenged section of the city.

“As Fresno grew north, it disinvested in its old

neighborhoods and businesses,” explains Sarah Reyes,

Regional Program Manager at The California Endowment.

Initial excitement about the parks master plan turned to

frustration as the launch kept getting delayed, and city

leaders downplayed the extent of the parks disparity.

To set the record straight, youth leaders from Building

Healthy Communities-Fresno visited every park in the

neighborhood and recorded what they saw: most were

poorly maintained, and some appeared virtually abandoned.

“City records said there was a place called Pride Park, but

we’d never heard of it. We had to find it on a map. When we

checked it out, there was not much to take pride in,” said

Sandra Celedon Castro, Hub Manager for BHC-Fresno.

Official city records showed that park access was far worse

in South Fresno than in the northern part of the city. To spur

action, Reyes and her team purchased advertising space

on city buses to publicize the parks disparity. The transit

agency accepted payment, so everyone was surprised

when the ad was suddenly rejected, with city leaders

claiming they were

political. “We were

shocked. We couldn’t

figure out what the

political part was,”

explains Reyes.

After repeatedly

seeking clarification

from city officials

but receiving no

response, the BHC

site went public

with its story,

releasing the banned

advertisement at a

press conference and

criticizing the city’s

decision. Ironically,

the attempt to censor the message increased the number of

people who saw it, because it was featured prominently in

local media.

Organizing continues to this day, and Sarah Reyes argues

that the experience dealt park advocates a stronger hand. “It

was a miscalculation on the part of the city,” she says. “They

didn’t think we had the power, but now they understand.

They know residents aren’t going to back down.”

NORTH FRESNO

PARK ACRESPer 1,000 residents

4.6293720

SOUTH FRESNO

PARK ACRESPer 1,000 residents

1.0293706

Your ZIP Code shouldn’t predict how long you’ll live – but it does. Because where we live, affects how we live.Staying healthy requires much more than diets and doctors. We need #OneHealthyFresno with better parks for all.

To learn more visit: www.fresnobhc.org

This billboard reporting on parks disparities was banned from appearing on Fresno buses.


Building Parks for Health and JusticeAn Interview with Adrian Benepe

Adrian Benepe is senior vice president and director of city park development for

The Trust for Public Land, a California-based non-profit organization dedicated to

preserving land for people.

Born and raised in New York, Adrian’s first summer job was picking up litter in

local parks. He became a park ranger and ultimately worked his way to the top

job, serving as New York City Parks Commissioner. During his 11-year tenure

as Commissioner, Adrian oversaw a major expansion of the city’s park system,

including the creation of hundreds of acres of new parks, many of them along the

waterfront. Adrian is passionate about parks and park equity and is working toward

the goal of ensuring that all urban residents live within a 10-minute walk of a high-

quality, well-maintained park.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

8 THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT health happens here THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT health happens here 9

The California Endowment: Why should health advocates have

parks on their agenda?

Adrian Benepe: A number of studies

have documented the connection

between parks, exercise and physical

health and mental health. All of those

things go together.

One of my favorite statistics says that

12% of all exercise takes places in

a nearby park. But 50% of vigorous

exercise—that’s the heart-healthy,

cardiovascular-aiding kind of exercise—

takes place in a park. That’s a pretty

astounding thing.

TCE: What makes a quality park?

AB: Parks aren’t all one-size-fits-all. In

the ideal city, in the ideal community,

there will be a variety of parks.

It is important to have small, nearby

neighborhood parks that contain places

for exercise —basketball courts and

playgrounds and running tracks and

places to walk. We all need a nearby

place you can get to quickly and safely.

But larger parks are also important. They

are going to provide a higher level of

ecosystem services. The trees absorb

the carbon dioxide and give off more

oxygen. So it takes a mix of different

kinds of parks to have a quality park

system.

TCE: One of the challenges with

park development is that it can take

a long time for results to appear.

How can communities make rapid

improvements in their park systems

so they don’t have to wait five or ten

years to see the benefits?

AB: One way is to look at underutilized

assets. For example, every city has

schools, and most schools have

schoolyards that are used during the

school day but are otherwise kept

locked up.

Through joint use agreements, part-

time schoolyards can be turned into

full-time community playgrounds or

sports facilities used after school, on

weekends, and during vacations and

holidays. It’s a very fast way to add to

a community’s recreational resources,

and it’s happening in a number of cities

around the country. It usually takes an

agreement with the Board of Education,

which is often separate from the mayor

and the city government.

Another strategy is finding abandoned

public and private property where the

former industrial uses and other uses

have gone away. City-owned vacant lots

can be turned into community gardens

and passive open spaces very quickly,

and they can be run by communities.

And last but not least, a very important

trend around cities is the reactivation

of abandoned rail lines as trails and

greenways, which is happening in

cities across the country, from very

high end approaches, such as the

High Line in New York City, to more

modest conversions, like simply

creating an asphalt path that runs

through communities that people can

bicycle and run on, such as the Lafitte

Greenway in New Orleans.

TCE: How serious a problem is park

inequity, the problem that some

neighborhoods don’t have the same

access to quality parks as do other

areas of the city?

AB: There is lack of equity, but it’s not

always about the number of parks in

a community. Sometimes it is about

quantity, but often, it’s about the quality

of the park. Are there are adequate and

safe and well maintained facilities that

make the park a place that you’d want to

go? Is it clean? Is it safe? Is it desirable?

That’s where you start to get a mixed

bag. Unfortunately, for a variety of

reasons, parks departments are often

not adequately funded or taken

seriously enough by city governments.

Sometimes wealthier neighborhoods

can augment where cities have failed

to do the right thing, but that’s not an

There is lack of equity, but it’s not always about the number of parks in a community. Sometimes it is about quantity, but often, it’s about the quality of the park.

You’ve got to be activated. Elected officials respond to constituents. So showing that a lot of people care about something really matters, organizing groups and going to community meetings and town hall meetings.

— Adrian Benepe

For more information about Adrian Benepe and The Trust for

Public Land, visit www.TPL.org.

equitable solution for all communities.

TCE: How can local advocates

address that problem, and try to

improve the quality of parks in their

communities?

AB: First, they should figure out

what the resources are and where

the decision makers are. Municipal

governments often share power

between a mayor and a city council. So

it’s important to figure out that power

structure. Many bigger cities also have

park advocacy organizations, and you

can reach out to them.

You’ve got to be activated. Elected

officials respond to constituents. So

showing that a lot of people care about

something really matters, organizing

groups and going to community

meetings and town hall meetings.

And often, the act of engaging

politically around parks leads to larger

political engagement. It can open

other issues, like issues of fiscal and

economic equity and environmental

justice and many other things.

Advocacy around parks can be a

catalyst for all these things.

NORTH FRESNOSOUTH FRESNO

Park disparities involve quality as well as quantity, as youth advocates discovered after visiting all parks in the city of Fresno.

(see page 6 for details)

California Youth Leaders Prioritize #Parks4All€¦ · underway in our Building Healthy Communities...

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