Urban Sustainability Forum 2007,  FEATURING: Robert Garcia, The City Project

ABOUT THE EVENT:  Environmental justice has grown beyond just stopping bad things from  happening, like toxic sites, to affirmatively creating public goods, including parks and schools in underserved communities.  People of color disproportionately live near toxic sites: in Los Angeles for example, 91% of people living near toxic sites are people of color. Nationally, there are unfair disparities in access to safe places to play.  While 87% of non-Hispanic respondents reported that “there are safe places for children to play” in their neighborhood, only 68% of Hispanics, 71% of African Americans, and 81% of Asians agreed.  Non-Hispanic White children and youth were most likely to participate in after school sports, with Hispanic children and children in poverty least likely. Children involved in sports and extracurricular activities tend to score higher on standardized tests and are less likely to engage in antisocial behavior. Learn how advocates and activists are building a new urban green movement to maximize public access to safe places to live, learn, work, play and pray while ensuring the fair treatment of people of all colors, cultures, and incomes.