Panel Ponders How to Engage Latino Communities in River Projects

A panel discussion at the Los Angeles River Center on Monday night addressed a recurring public engagement issue urban planners and environmentalists face when preparing a public works project: finding ways to involve the Latino community.

The two-hour discussion featured Mia Lehrer, a private landscape architect and member of the American Society of Landscape Architects; Marybeth Vergara, of the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy; Barbara Romero, of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority; and Lupe Vela, a Los Angeles city employee.

During the discussion the women also celebrated several revitalization projects planned for the Los Angeles River, which flows 32 miles through many diverse communities in the city.

The discussion was organized by the Latino Urban Forum, a group of urban planners and architects who tackle urban issues affecting Latino communities.

“How can we look at a plan and see how it will impact the Latino community? How can we engage the community and get them to think about open space and their needs?” moderator and event organizer James Rojas asked the panel.

“We have a special sensitivity to our community, but it doesn’t mean that other communities, like the African-American and Armenian communities, don’t share similar problems,” Lehrer responded. “These issues cross cultural boundaries.”

Lehrer added that it is important to make the distinction between Latinos who have been in the country for generations and new immigrants.

“People who are arriving are afraid to participate,” she said. “It is really important to empower them to become active citizens and help them understand that voting in America makes a difference.”

Romero said there also a needs to be a shift in perception for Latinos regarding environmental issues and the types of jobs that are typically available for them by participating in environmental projects.

“We need more engineers and planners working on projects and not just installing them,” she said. 

“There also needs to be a shift in the perception that Latinos are only starting to be green now,” Romero added. “We are not a novelty. There are a lot of us who like the environment.”

She said Latino communities use parks regularly and reusing clothing and recycling has been a part their lives for many years.

Vela agreed.

“Reusing and recycling has been a lifestyle,” she said. “We need to develop a narrative about how people live and then integrate that lifestyle into our policy.”

Vela added that many policies start from the bottom up--coming from neighborhoods into city hall. 

For example, many projects in the Los Angeles River were conceived by residents, she said. Now, the city has a revitalization master plan, which outlines the long-term vision for the future of the river.

Those who attended Monday's meeting learned that the master plan includes projects that will revitalize the river’s natural ecological system, connect neighborhoods near the river, foster a renewed, respectful river identity though watershed-sensitive design standards and land uses and encourage river improvements that enhance the quality of life in neighboring communities. 

The master plan has over 200 projects. Some of the projects include “green streets,” which could provide walkable and bikeable connections from neighborhoods to the river and a “river promenade,” which could provide a space to sit and rest along the river and showcase the work of local artists.

All of the speakers also agreed that the two challenges they face include securing funding, which is limited, and keeping the community interested and engaged for long-term projects.

“I invited a group of mothers to dream and invision a project,” said Romero said. “Then I face the reality of no matter how much we want those projects the bureaucratic process is long and that’s hard to communicate to the community.”