LOS ANGELES, August 25, 2020 – After much awaited anticipation, the Green Together Collaborative in the Northeast San Fernando Valley is ready to launch six remarkable projects within the Pacoima- Sun Valley area. Awarded with a $23m grant from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities Program, the Collaborative will design and implement projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the local economy and improve public health.

The Green Together Collaborative is a partnership between several organizations and government agencies with funded projects in Pacoima-Sun Valley, including Community Partners, Pacoima Beautiful, Grid Alternatives Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Business Council, The Trust for Public Land, LA DOT, LA Conservation Corps, and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.  The Collaborative’s vision is to help build a community that is safe, green, socially inclusive and resilient to climate change.

As a result of the grant to the Green Together Collaborative, residents can look forward to riding a DASH bus route equipped with battery-electric buses in the near future. They will also have the opportunity to participate in Energy for All, a solar panel installation program offered to single-family homes and multi-family residential properties.

Additional projects include renovating David M. Gonzales Park to incorporate cooling elements and stormwater management. This will create 2.4 miles of pedestrian improvements along Herrick Avenue and Haddon Street to connect neighborhoods, making biking and walking easier. There will also be four new mobility hubs which will include charging stations, space for bike parking, and air-quality monitoring stations, to make it easier for community members to travel to and use public transit.

In addition, 2,000 new street trees on commercial and residential city parkways will be planted and maintained for the first three years, reducing the heat island effect in our community by expanding tree canopy in the project area.

“Now, more than ever, we know how invaluable quality outdoor spaces are for safe and healthy communities,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California State Director for The Trust for Public Land, “As the climate crisis deepens, with world record heat recordings and rolling power blackouts these community lead climate resiliency efforts will make the Northeast San Fernando cooler, more resilient, and healthier for generations to come. We’re proud to work with this broad coalition to reach these collective goals.”

The Collaborative is passionate about this community-led effort and will incorporate community engagement throughout the projects, encouraging resident and stakeholder participation during design phases and offering charettes on major projects to keep the community informed. To address potential concerns of displacement, the Green Together Collaborative plans to provide short- and long-term resources to small businesses and residents, such as tenants’ rights workshops and small business development workshops.

These greening and air quality projects will not only transform the Pacoima-Sun Valley from an area of environmental neglect, to one with substantial employment opportunities, and workforce training programs for longtime residents.

“This was a big win for the community and we’re excited to get started. Our members and residents advocated for these improvements because they experience the effects of climate change and environmental pollution firsthand. This grant will provide much needed improvements and resources that will make Pacoima-Sun Valley greener, safer and more beautiful,” said Veronica Padilla, Executive Director at Pacoima Beautiful. “We are looking forward to helping deliver this vision.”

“Congratulations to the Green Together Collaborative on reaching this important project milestone. Launching these projects marks an important step in realizing Pacoima-Sun Valley residents’ vision for a healthy, equitable, and resilient community,” said Louise Bedsworth, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. “We are thrilled that this collaborative partnership is creating new projects and programs to benefit all residents.”

Projects have launched and will be completed in stages through Spring 2026.

Please visit our temporary website to sign up to receive regular updates about the Green Together Collaborative.

About the GREEN TOGETHER COLLABORATIVE

The Green Together Collaborative is a partnership between several organizations and government agencies working in Pacoima and Sun Valley: Community Partners, Pacoima Beautiful, GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles, LA Business Council, The Trust for Public Land, LADOT, LA Conservation Corps, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. The Green Together Collaborative is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities Program with funds from California Climate Investments – Cap-and-Trade Dollars at Work.

Temporary site: https://communitypartners.org/green-together-collaborative