Park Equity, Life Expectancy, and Power Building: Pacoima, Panorama City, and Sun Valley

the median life expectancy is 80 years, well below the upper bound for the county as a whole.2,3 About 20 miles away in the community of Beverly Hills, the life expectancy is about 90 years—ten years higher.4 According to the research, if all of the census tracts in LA County with park deficits and low tree canopy levels had an increase in park acreage up to the median for LA County tracts (about. [...] While Latinos make up 49% of LA County’s population, they represent 66% of people living in these high park need/low life expectancy tracts.5 Parks and Public Health in Los Angeles County, issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health around the same time as the PNA, examined the links between park deficits and health outcomes. [...] By centering health equity in advocacy for park and green space investments, the residents of Northeast Valley communities can leverage their voice, agency, and power in decision-making to close health equity gaps and reverse the biased policies, procedures, practices, and norms that led to disinvestment and park deficits in the first place. [...] Specific recommendations for reversing park inequities can be found in the policy brief, Park Equity, Life Expectancy, and Power Building PARK EQUITY, LIFE EXPECTANCY, AND POWER BUILDING: PREVENTION INSTITUTE 6 COMMUNITY PROFILE FOR PACOIMA, PANORAMA CITY, AND SUN VALLEY Power Building and Park Advocacy Action in Pacoima Pacoima Be. [...] Pacoima Beautiful is a member of the Park Equity Alliance, a coalition of community- Pacoima Beautiful’s park equity work centers based organizations from across the LA on advocating to repurpose underutilized region committed to spatial justice and land to improve and increase access to parks ensuring community oversight of Los Angeles and green spaces.