Green Streets, Just Waters

Green space, park access, and trees

South Bay

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Green Streets, Just Waters seeks to address deep-rooted inequities in access to clean air, clean water, and green space—issues that disproportionately affect frontline communities across LA County and are historically tied to the extraction of Indigenous land and resources. Wilmington, one of LA’s most environmentally burdened neighborhoods, is at the center of our current work supported by the Water Foundation, where we are transforming a vacant lot into a rain garden and training Safe Street Advocates to connect street safety with climate resilience.
Through this initiative, we aim to deepen our community’s understanding of water justice by engaging with the history and ongoing impacts of LA’s water extraction from Owens Valley. By uplifting narratives of environmental harm and resilience through popular education and storytelling, we hope to build a stronger sense of solidarity and shared responsibility between urban and rural communities.

Green Streets, Just Waters is a learning exchange that supports frontline advocates from Wilmington in exploring the roots of water injustice in Los Angeles by engaging with the narrative and history of LA’s water extraction from Owens Valley. This grant will fund popular education workshops, a facilitated visit to Owens Valley, and the development of a bilingual podcast series that documents the journey and reflections of community advocates. By grounding our Safe Street Advocates in a deeper understanding of regional water systems and environmental harm, this initiative builds the foundation for a broader movement rooted in storytelling, solidarity, and shared responsibility for clean air, clean water, and green space across LA County.

If Green Streets, Just Waters is successful, Los Angeles County will move closer to a future where environmental justice is shared—bridging urban and rural communities, uplifting Indigenous leadership, and centering the voices of those most impacted by environmental harm. Frontline neighborhoods like Wilmington will benefit from cleaner air, more green space, and community-designed infrastructure that supports public health and climate resilience.
Our Safe Street Advocates will grow as local leaders and regional storytellers, helping connect the dots between neighborhood conditions and the broader systems—like LA’s water extraction from Owens Valley—that shape them. More Angelenos will understand the real cost of their water and recognize their power to influence change. By fostering awareness, empathy, and solidarity, this work will build public support for equitable policies and help create a more connected, accountable, and just LA County.