YES (Youth Envisioned Streets) for a Healthier South LA
YES for a Healthier South LA is a youth-driven event on Central Avenue in South LA that will demonstrate how public space can be reimagined as safe, vibrant and active for all members of the community.
Leader
Denise Muniz
Location
Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90011
About the project
YES (Youth Envisioned Streets) for a Healthier South LA event is a collaborative effort between National Health Foundation, A Place Called Home, Los Angeles Walks, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the Coalition for Responsible Community Development. The project will empower South LA youth to plan and execute a one-day community event to take place on Central Avenue between 33rd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Through this event, youth will demonstrate innovative interventions along the corridor that will transform this public space to promote healthy lifestyles.
Youth will lead the creative direction and vision for this event which will reflect South LA’s rich culture and history. Activities youth will undertake include developing temporary street designs to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety and encourage active modes of transportation. Youth will also design an organic vegetable garden and provide healthy food demonstrations to promote healthy eating and lifestyles. Youth will determine other activities that demonstrate how public space can be reimagined as safe, vibrant and active for all members of the community.
Through implementing this event and providing the community with a chance to be actively engaged in reimagining their environment, we hope that families, youth, and businesses along the corridor will foster a sense of pride in their community that will further inspire positive change towards health and well-being. Furthermore, by empowering youth to lead this event, we are investing in developing future leaders that are inspired and committed to improving the health and wellbeing of their community.
The Steps
A Project Team has been assembled that includes representatives from each of the community partners. This team will meet bi-weekly to plan, design and execute the event. A timeline has been developed that includes metrics for each stage of the process.
August 21st – 100% of Funds Raised
September 20th – Submit Project Plan
November 19th – Submit Project Progress Report
February 22nd – Deadline for Project Completion
April 22nd – Submit Final Project Report
To ensure robust youth participation, NHF will engage their Health Academy students to help design and implement the temporary street design and reimagining of public spaces for the pop-up event. APCH will engage their Youth Garden Team (YGT) to develop an action plan to design and implement the Edible Garden. This includes the planning and execution of a healthy eating and cooking clinic during the event. YGT will also develop community health toolkits to encourage healthy eating in the community.
Why we‘re doing it
This stretch of Central Avenue in South Los Angeles connects commuters from the southernmost part of the city to Downtown Los Angeles and is also home to a vibrant small business community. The predominantly Latino and African American community of South Los Angeles suffer from an alarming rate of obesity and diabetes, one of the highest in the City of Los Angeles. Physical inactivity is a major factor in causing these diseases. In addition, Central Avenue continues to have a high record number of pedestrian-vehicle collisions, making safety one of the major concerns in the community. Complete streets designs can have a direct impact on the well-being of the community and can have a significant role in reducing obesity and diabetes by making it easier for people to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into their daily routine.