Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 9

This week’s post is in response to Mitch’s Week 2 post on his visit to Compton, CA.

Hi Mitch,

I was very intrigued by your post since I have never visited Compton myself; it was very interesting to read your experience. There were many aspects you mentioned that I thought could be tied into this week’s lecture on nature in the urban area. Like the blog post mentioned in the post, Compton is definitely considered “the hood” or “the ghetto” where people from lower income classes reside, not as well maintained neighborhoods and typically have higher crime rates. There tends to be less criteria and considerations for the urban planning of these types of neighborhoods, especially for “nature” or “green area” such as parks, courts, etc. In addition, these places have more factories or plants in the vicinity that are harmful to the health of the residents. In this case, it seems true of Compton since the person who was selling the T.V. had stated that he worked in one of the factories of the city. Despite these existing factories, there is no “nature” to counter the harm caused by them that allows residents to lead a healthy life. Majora Carter mentioned in her “Greening the Ghetto” TED talk that when the air is polluted and their surroundings are detrimental, no one wants to be outside, no one would take walks or runs, which in turn becomes a deleterious lifestyle. Additionally, these houses have limited green space, which the blog post described as little backyards. I assume these conditions do not encourage outdoor activities either.

Some may argue that the concept of “Going Green” is not necessarily a priority in these neighborhoods because the community has much more important issues to worry about. Or low income housing cannot afford to be green. However, in a couple of articles I read online that seems to be the contrary. In Planetizen an articlewas published titled “Greening the Ghetto,” which brings up the idea how low income housing can also be green. In fact, it is actually a concept that is being implemented. The article also includes a comment made by Jeffrey Richardson, Chief Executive of Imani Energy Inc, one of the few energy companies working with communities in South Los Angles, saying, “There's a tendency to not seek out communities like these. There's the idea that people here don't get it, don't want to get it and can't get it when it comes to green.” This also goes back to the idea that the culture is quite different in these neighborhoods, and the idea of “green” is not yet formally introduced. A resident of South Los Angeles said in an interview with Los Angeles Times for their “Green revolution comes to urbanneighborhoods” article that without exposure to green ideas and projects, she hasn't really paid much attention to becoming more eco-friendly. It is certain that it is not due to lack of motivation that greening projects were not implemented sooner. A hairdresser from South Los Angeles said in the same article, “I don't know too much about green, but I'm willing to try anything new." Perhaps if there were more projects on greening South Los Angeles, residents would have a better grasp of it. And it seems that is the direction community organizers are heading in, as they begin helping turn their often neglected neighborhoods into more sustainable places through broad volunteer greening efforts.

After reading these articles, I came to the realization that it is not the different culture within these communities preventing any past greening projects, but the assumption by corporations and urban planners that low income neighborhoods would not want these projects is what has been hindering them. In spite of having bail bond companies’ billboard instead of Gucci shades propaganda as described in the post, their socioeconomic and cultural difference should not be reasons for these neighborhoods to be neglected of environmental improvements in their communities. As Majora Carter said, “No community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other. Unfortunately, race and class are extremely reliable indicators as to where one might find the good stuff, like parks and trees, and where one might find the bad stuff, like power plants and waste facilities.” Therefore, many benefits can come from the implementation of these greening projects, which were mostly listed in Majora Carter’s TED talk. These projects would help a range of issues from allowing healthier residents’ lifestyle and improving children’s health to lowering crime rates and enabling the betterment of these neighborhoods.