Cultivating Indigenous Greenspace for LA's Immigrants

Green Space, Park Access, and Trees

San Fernando Valley

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Angelenos with indigenous roots are often excluded from consideration in greenspace development. Newly arrived immigrants, especially those from remote indigenous cultures, have experienced multiple layers of loss, leaving behind multigenerational communities of support and severing essential relationships to the natural world. Indigenous populations often understand wellbeing differently than the Western biomedical model, emphasizing a connection to the land and utilizing plants for physical and spiritual healing as well as preservation of culinary traditions. Los Angeles, a city of immigrants, is in need of greenspaces that not only promote health and play equity - but also serve as instruments to preserve community cultural wealth. A multigenerational greenspace that integrates indigenous plant cultivation with play and learning opportunities would help LA's immigrants build community and maintain cultural ties while serving as a model to support immigrants on a municipal level.

The Nest LA Greenspace will be a multifunctional outdoor area on the campus of Refugee Children Center (RCC), a nonprofit organization providing holistic services to migrant families in LA. This summer, PILAglobal is partnering with RCC to open Nest LA, a free education program for migrant families. With support from LA2050, PILAglobal and RCC will expand their partnership to include the Nest LA Greenspace. Designed by international design firm RIOS, the Nest LA Greenspace will transform an empty corner of the property that houses RCC into a lush oasis with two unique features: a garden of plants native to Central America and a multifunctional outdoor play area and classroom. Plants meet medicinal, spiritual, and culinary needs in Central American cultures, healing a range of physical and mental health conditions. The Greenspace will offer LA's immigrant community-many of whom have lost all access to the natural world-a place to cultivate and harvest plants that carry great cultural importance. The space will also feature an outdoor classroom and play area, allowing PILAglobal, RCC, and other community stakeholders to host classes, workshops, and information sessions for visitors in a natural, nurturing space. By celebrating indigenous practices and offering opportunities for multigenerational community building, the Nest LA Greenspace will empower and support residents in preserving the past and building healthy, meaningful futures.

Plant cultivation for mental and physical health is often seen as a resilience factor among indigenous communities around the world. Providing a space for the city's immigrants to engage in this practice will facilitate healing and community empowerment and support a holistic approach to wellbeing. In the short term, the Nest LA Greenspace will provide a natural sanctuary for RCC program participants who have waited for an opportunity to cultivate stored seeds, as well as an outdoor haven for play. In the long term, the project will serve as a model for inclusive greenspace development that preserves community cultural wealth and deepens Los Angeles' commitment to embracing immigrants and refugees with cultural sensitivity. We look forward to applying this model to future design projects in order to create a Los Angeles that reflects the richness and beauty of its residents' cultures and celebrates immigrants' histories alongside their newly developing identities as Angelenos.

PILAglobal regularly relies on qualitative feedback in the form of participant questionnaires and interviews to assess the effectiveness of our programs. In order to evaluate the success of the Nest LA Greenspace, we plan to develop a user survey that captures visitors' experiences. The Greenspace design will be developed and evaluated in line with the following objectives set forth by RIOS to be considered in addition to our goals for cultural responsiveness and play equity: Biophilia: Supporting access for people to nature and nature's sounds to promote personal and collective well-being; Increased biodiversity through introducing pollinator planting as part of a larger network to heal our natural systems; Heat mapping: Promoting shade equity with planting and tree canopy to create cooler conditions. RIOS recommends a review following 1 year of garden growth, maintenance, and use to obtain user feedback, make appropriate substitutions and address changes in stakeholder needs.

RIOS will oversee the design and construction of the Nest LA Greenspace, drawing on the company's expertise in developing joyful, dynamic, context-specific outdoor spaces. RCC will guide the development of the Greenspace's indigenous garden, utilizing knowledge gained from 8 years working with migrant families in the San Fernando Valley and by actively consulting with local residents through the design process. PILAglobal will advise on the design and programming of the outdoor classroom and play area, drawing on the organization's vast experience developing indoor and outdoor education spaces for families in a range of contexts around the world. PILAglobal will also lead the development of an evaluation tool for the Greenspace which will be deployed by RCC.