Our purpose is to transform South Los Angeles into a vibrant, sustainable community with green spaces, clean air and renewable energy, dynamic mobility options for pedestrians, bikers, and public transit, fostering the environmental health of the region.
BACKGROUND
The South LA Eco-Lab is a transformative, community-driven initiative awarded $35 million in 2022 by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC)’s Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC). We are creating a greener, healthier and more resilient neighborhood via economic development through climate action. With 11 interconnected projects, the South LA Eco-Lab brings together residents, small businesses, community-based organizations, and public agencies to address long-standing environmental and economic challenges in South Los Angeles. The South LA Eco-Lab builds off the work from the South LA Climate Commons, funded under the Round 2 Transformative Climate Communities Planning Grant.
Rooted in a multi-year planning process, the South LA Eco-Lab focuses on expanding access to affordable housing, creating well-paying green jobs, improving public transportation, and enhancing the local environment with more green spaces and cleaner air. From installing 84 cool roofs and planting over 4,000 trees, to providing 45,255 free annual Metro passes to students and building 16 new EV charging stations, the South LA Eco-Lab ensures that South LA benefits from sustainable infrastructure improvements while protecting residents from displacement.
Through robust community engagement, workforce development programs and displacement avoidance, the South LA Eco-Lab empowers residents to take ownership of these investments, ensuring lasting benefits for generations to come. This initiative not only addresses climate resilience but also builds economic opportunity and social equity, making South LA a model for sustainable urban transformation.
“Good health and a beautiful environment can’t depend on the color of your skin or the luck of your zip code. That’s the spirit that’s going to achieve environmental justice and prosperity in South LA. ” - Mayor Eric Garcetti
“Now is clearly the time to make transformational investments that reduce the climate gap and support the inherent resilience of our communities.” - Supervisor Holly Mitchell
VISION & projects
The South Los Angeles Eco-Lab focuses on “Economic Development through Climate Action” to achieve the community’s vision for a socially inclusive, sustainable, green community resilient to climate change, in the heart of South Los Angeles. The South LA Eco-Lab’s synergistic projects are seeds cultivated by community residents, small businesses, CBOs, and public agencies in these neighborhoods. The seeds will blossom into a South Los Angeles oasis, one with serene green spaces, energy and water efficient infrastructure, and expansion of safe active travel and public transit, all of which enhance public health, well-being, and environmental benefits, including reduction in GHGs.
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PROJECT PARTNERS
Building on years of collaborative work and cross-sector partnerships with government partners, residents, business owners, community-based organizations, schools, workers, and community leaders, our project reflects a unified vision and shared commitment to transform South LA into a prosperous climate-resilient community to live, work, and play.
The transformative plans and strategic projects proposed in the South LA Eco-Lab effort include strong, stable, and committed partners, including Community Partners, the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z), the LA Mayor’s Office, the City of LA (including the Department of Transportation, Department of Water and Power, StreetsLA, and Recreation and Parks), LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CicLAvia, Climate Resolve, Coalition for Responsible Community Development, GRID Alternatives, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, LA Neighborhood Land Trust, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education, TreePeople, and T.R.U.S.T South LA.
These partners bring expertise around community engagement, displacement avoidance, workforce development, economic opportunities, urban greening, energy efficiency, transit access, and mobility projects that will help South Los Angeles blossom into a synergetic oasis for all.
The California Strategic Growth Council’s (SGC) Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC), administered in partnership with the California Department of Conservation, funds community-led development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged communities. For more information, visit https://sgc.ca.gov/grant-programs/tcc/.
PROJECT AREA
After decades of redlining practices, deindustrialization, and disinvestment in South LA, the entire community within our 3.9 square mile project area is 100% disadvantaged (CalEnviroScreen 4.0) and the project meets the definition of low-income communities per AB 1550.
Project Area Demographics:
66% residential; 15% commercial; 7% industrial; and 12% open space and public facilities.
60% of the population in the project area live below the poverty level and per capita income is at $14,470; 33% are unemployed.
85,000 people within the proposed project area, of whom 81% are Latinx, 17% are African American, and 2% are White or other.
In a community embracing various mobility options, 18% use active modes of transportation (walking, wheeling, and taking transit) to commute to/from work.
“We look forward to working with our Partners & Strategic Growth Council to pursue our dreams of a clean and green oasis in South Los Angeles.”
CONNECT WITH US
Job openings WITH SOUTH LA ECO-LAB
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Tree People is an environmental nonprofit organization that mobilizes individuals, families, communities, philanthropists, and public agencies to work together to create green, resilient communities by providing education on the benefits of planting trees, capturing rainwater, greening schools, and providing fun environmental educational activities. TreePeople unites with communities to grow a greener, shadier and more water-secure region at homes, neighborhoods, schools and in the local mountains.
TreePeople is seeking individuals interested in community forestry to join our team as a Community Forestry Associate. The Community Forestry program engages, inspires, and supports residents to take environmental action in their communities. This position will conduct various aspects of the project such as tree planting, tree maintenance, volunteer coordination, community engagement, and data collection within the South Los Angeles region and surrounding communities.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Support the organization of community tree planting and tree care events with local volunteers.
Plant and maintain 15-gallon street trees.
Assist with community workshops and volunteer led events, attend site visits, and help manage and maintain TreePeople tool inventory and trucks.
Drive a truck to transport trees and water trees on a regular basis.
Support the participation of volunteers in urban tree planting and care events.
Utilize and maintain tree data through TreePeople’s web-based inventory.
Gather, monitor and track data of tree plantings through GPS and site maps to comply with funding reporting and to ensure successful implementation of tree maintenance plans.
Participate and represent TreePeople at meetings and community events as needed.
Maintain communication with community volunteers to carry out necessary tree maintenance until the community is self-sustaining in the stewardship of their trees.
Other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
Strong leadership, team-building, and problem-solving skills.
Highly organized, strong work ethic, friendly, smart, proactive and a quick learner.
Interested in local climate resilience and environmental issues impacting communities throughout Southern California.
Spanish fluency is preferred.
Valid CA Driver’s license and clean driving record desired to perform job-related essential functions.
Available to work a flexible schedule that will include weekends.
Current residency in South Los Angeles preferred.
Work demands physical energy, twisting, safe heavy lifting ability, and hand-to-eye coordination.
Uses machines, equipment, and work tools including but not limited to shovels, breaker bars, rakes, brooms, general hand tools, lift gates, water tanks, blowers, augers.
Must be able to carry and walk with 50 pounds for at least 50 feet.
Must be able to lift 50 pounds overhead.
Must be able to load and unload 15-gallon trees from a stakebed truck.
Must be able to enter and exit a vehicle numerous times a day.
Must be able to withstand exposure to all kinds of weather while completing work assignments, i.e., rain, heat, sun, cold.
Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.
SALARY DESCRIPTION:
$20.00 per hour
