By Iris Craige, Assistant Director, Policy and Research

This August, SAJE partnered with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to host a two-part series of community workshops to help shape the City of L.A.’s General Plan. These sessions focused on two key chapters: the new Environmental Justice Element and the long-overdue update to the Open Space Element.

The General Plan guides how L.A. grows, and each “element” sets goals, policies, and programs for the city to follow. For decades, frontline communities-–those experiencing the first and worst impacts of climate change and economic injustice—were left out of these processes. These workshops are part of a changing approach to city planning, to ensure residents most impacted by climate issues lead the vision for a healthier, more just Los Angeles. The city will use this feedback to inform future planning and policymaking.

Part I: Environmental Justice Element

At the August 12 workshop, SAJE staff presented four of the six draft goals of the Environmental Justice Element and discussed strategies for activating these ambitions with SAJE members.

Fair Treatment & Meaningful Involvement (Goal 2): 

• Members shared what they currently do to feel engaged in civic life: giving public comment, talking to neighbors, emailing city officials, and joining organizations like SAJE. They would like the city to provide better access to information about new development, such as placing flyers in everyday places like markets, schools, and libraries.

A Healthy Environment Where Life Thrives (Goal 3): 

• SAJE staff created a word cloud with members that pictures what a healthy, thriving environment might look like. Members shared their vision for a city filled with tree-lined streets, bike lanes, accessible grocery stores, and community gardens.

Clean, Healthy Air for All (Goal 4): 

• SAJE members want building electrification, more local greening projects, and stricter regulations on trucks and rideshare companies as potential solutions to air pollution in their neighborhood. 

Resilient Communities in the Face of Climate Change (Goal 5): 

• Our discussion touched on making solar panels accessible and affordable, members’ sense of excitement about St. John’s new resilience center in South LA, and improving disaster planning for unhoused Angelenos.

Part II: Open Space Element

Two weeks later, on August 26, we reviewed the goals for the Open Space Element (still pending release to the broader public). This update is crucial, as it hasn’t been updated since 1973. Members began by sharing memories of their favorite parks, including cookouts at Griffith park and afternoons at Echo Park Lake. It made clear that everyone seeks open spaces for the joy they bring communities, while also highlighting the barriers families face in accessing them today.

This discussion also focused on four of the six core goals:

Equitable Distribution (Goal 1): 

• Members spoke about underused or restricted empty spaces, and the fact that some landlords forbid tenants from gardening. They called for community gardens, the reclamation of vacant lots, and city support for tenant-driven greening.

Inclusive Planning and Stewardship (Goal 2):

• We discussed inequities in tree planting and upkeep, and how wealthier neighborhoods receive more investment and maintenance. Many members felt trees planted in South LA have been abandoned by the city and left to community members to maintain. One key demand that emerged from this section was simple: shade at bus stops.

Equitable Access and Safety (Goal 3):

• Members are very concerned about safety in open spaces. They described how gang activity, ICE raids, and drug use make local parks unwelcoming, and even a threat. They stressed that parks must be clean and safe for all members of the community. 

Healthy Ecosystems and People (Goal 5): 

• We discussed converting toxic and industrial sites, like the Jefferson oil site, into parks. Members also wanted better maintenance at already-existing parks instead of the construction of  new ones, highlighting again the need for equitable investment.

These sessions were crucial ways to conduct outreach around the two elements while engaging community members in city planning efforts. We appreciate city planning for hosting these events with us, and for giving us the opportunity to share our own goals and concerns. 

Feedback on the Health and Environmental Justice Element is open now through September 30, 2025.