A.L.I.V.E: Art Living in Vibrant Environments

Green Space, Park Access, and Trees

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

RuckusRoots has been working at the intersection of art and environmental justice in Los Angeles for over a decade; we firmly believe in the power of art to overcome barriers and create the essential connections needed to address environmental issues. Our experience, along with scientifically-backed research, has shown us that environmental justice encompasses a wide range of issues, and that in L.A. County, structural racism and income inequality are key factors. According to Scientific American, "Lack of green space reinforces the urban heat island effect, causing low-income areas to experience disproportionately higher temperatures and worse air quality." Additionally, research shows that concepts like environmental justice and climate change can feel overwhelming and discouraging across generations. Therefore, our programs use collaborative art-making and hands-on activities as proven ways to alleviate engagement challenges by cultivating dialogue, empathy, and connection.

A.L.I.V.E is a rebranding and expansion of our established Rebel Garden Project (funded by LA2050 in 2022). It synthesizes the most successful and impactful elements of that program (as gleaned from participant surveys & community feedback) into a replicable, logistically achievable program tailored to community-identified needs. A.L.I.V.E has 3 main components. Components 1 and 2 will increase the availability of, and expand equitable access to, outdoor areas for low-income residents of Los Angeles, while component 3 will inspire creative interaction with these spaces. 1) Food: Through the provision of free vertical hydroponic towers and training on how to plant and harvest from them, partner sites will be able to grow healthy produce outdoors on any surface (asphalt, concrete, etc) while maximizing growing capacity in small spaces. 2) Plants: Through raised beds and/or in-ground planting, the program brings in native plant gardens to attract pollinators to support the tower crops, creating a healthier, more productive ecosystem. Educational programming about native plants, their benefits, and their uses is provided as well. 3) Art: The new A.L.I.V.E space is beautified further through the design and creation of a mural featuring local, native and culturally relevant ecology, led by a local artist as a multi-generational public art activity. Seating, shade and solar lighting can be added as needed to the site, to enhance usability and enjoyment for community.

A.L.I.V.E filters the knowledge we've accumulated over the last decade into a program built by community, for community. Through pilot garden and art-based programs in our partner neighborhoods (South Central LA and South Bay, both designated as disadvantaged communities by CalEPA in the highest 25% of pollution metrics), we have learned that interactive green spaces are highly desired. During recent team reflections about The Rebel Garden Project, the most impactful lasting effect was identified to be the creation of a thriving green space in what used to be a parking lot. One of our program partners said, "Having a green space is so beneficial in this community- you can see people enjoying the garden, having meetings, sunbathing, picking produce. It made the area more welcoming." Our intention with A.L.I.V.E. is to scale and expand this core success of RGP into more sites, and to create similar positive impact and success elsewhere as we did at our pilot site, The Rebel Garden.

Pre- and post-surveys of the '23 Rebel Garden Project (and its '22 pilot) revealed increases in: - Knowledge of growing and harvesting: 25% - Confidence in expressing opinions about issues affecting the community: 21% - Confidence in creative expression through visual art: 18% Though the Rebel Garden Project also focused on entrepreneurship as an outcome (the site is now certified to sell at farmers' markets), post-program testimonials and survey results identified green spaces, growing/harvesting food and art as the three areas community found to be most impactful and desired. For this reason, our A.L.I.V.E program will focus on these three areas as its key outcomes and will use the same method of pre- and post-surveys and testimonials to define and measure success. Our broader goal is to create more spaces for the community that can eventually reach an entrepreneurship benchmark as well. The first step is to cultivate green spaces and foster community engagement within them.

Confirmed Host Sites: Eucalyptus Elementary School (Hawthorne, CA) Chuco's Justice Center (South LA): Our goal is to keep Rebel Garden going with maintenance 1x month, and programming open to community/systems-impacted youth on site. Other partners: Cerca Cultivation: As previous Rebel Garden Project facilitators, the Cerca team will procure/set up vertical food towers, & provide community training/support on their maintenance. Based on our growing & established relationships within the South LA/South Bay community, we are currently exploring and working to secure additional partnerships with sites like Mercado la Paloma, Cafe Calle & other non-school locations. Both in-school & community host sites will ensure that A.L.I.V.E offerings reach an intergenerational blend of constituents.