Green Zones Program
Green Zones Program
Initiated by the Board of Supervisors in 2015, the Green Zones Program seeks to enhance public health and land use compatibility in the unincorporated communities that bear a disproportionate pollution burden.
Updates
On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, the Board of Supervisors adopted and certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Green Zones Program. The Green Zones Program will go into effect after 30 days of this consent hearing on July 14, 2022. Implementation efforts will include public notification this summer and future annual reporting.
Please visit our Documents page for additional resources and updated materials including a Green Zones Program FAQ sheet and Summary sheet.
Thank you!
Questions, comments or concerns can be submitted via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Green Zones Program Framework
Environmental Justice is a broad issue that touches upon various aspects of land use planning. A key concept in EJ is transparency and community engagement in the process. In order to create implementable and effective planning tools, the Green Zones Program employs data-driven approach and robust stakeholder outreach strategy. It consists of the following components:
Land Use Policy
EJ issues are inherently related to land use incompatibility and regulations. Toxic pollutants emitted near residential neighborhoods or schools pose serious threats on public health as well as the environment. The Green Zones Program will include land use policies and zoning regulations to help improve such conditions in neighborhoods.
Community Engagement
The Green Zones Program will be developed through a rigorous community engagement process that raises awareness of environmental justice, identifies community needs, and encourages meaningful participation and transparency. Groundtruthing activities in Green Zones Program pilot communities, in partnership with community-based organizations and residents, will help document environmental hazards block-by-block and inform the Program’s land use policies and toxic hotspots map.
Environmental Justice Screening Map
The Green Zones Program’s environmental justice screening map will identify stationary sources of pollution and analyze cumulative environmental impacts, based on experts’ recommendations and the information gathered from groundtruthing activities. This tool will serve as a public resource and provide a foundation for environmental justice policies.
Prevention and Mitigation
Prevention and mitigation strategies are important in environmental justice. The Green Zones Program seeks to develop ways to improve coordination among various regulatory agencies and to support businesses to become better neighbors, helping to mitigate current and prevent future environmental impacts.
Contact
If you would like to provide any comments or receive email updates, please contact us at GreenZones@planning.lacounty.gov.