City Of Long Beach:Long Beach Parks Recreation And Marine Partners With Cal Poly Pomona And The Long Beach Community Design Center To Of ...

Press release from the City of Long Beach:

3/2/2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 30222 Subject: Long Beach Parks Recreation and Marine Partners with Cal Poly Pomona and the Long Beach Community Design Center to Offer Free Urban Planning Program for Teens Contact:

Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Parks Recreation and Marine (PRM) is offering Young Community Planners of Long Beach, a new urban planning program for teens ages 13 to 18 who are interested in city planning and development. PRM is collaborating with the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design and the Long Beach Community Design Center to facilitate the program, which will provide hands-on experience about the urban planning process.  

“This new program will engage our youth in the city planning processes, provide unique hands-on experience in urban development, and inspire teens to become advocates for their own community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We’re continuing to invest in our next generation, and this is a great example of that commitment.” 

Participating youth will learn about the urban planning process, which involves how city spaces and amenities are designed to best suit the needs of the population. Cal Poly’s Urban and Regional Planning students and members of the Long Beach Community Design Center will instruct participants about building a better city while learning about sustainability, mobility, the history of Long beach, and more. Teens will gain an appreciation for their ability to help shape the place they live.  

The workshops will be held on Wednesdays, March 9, 16 and 30, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Houghton Park Teen Center, located at 6301 Myrtle Ave., and McBride Park Teen Center, located at 1520 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Registration is now open and will remain open until all spots are filled or until the program begins March 9.Registration is available by calling or visiting the Houghton Park Teen Center at 562.570.1640 or the McBride Park Teen Center at 562.570.1605. 

The City’s Strategic Plan for Youth and Emerging Adults (Plan), adopted by the Long Beach City Council on Feb. 9, 2021, is a blueprint for supporting youth and emerging adults between the ages of 8 and 24 to become healthy and empowered individuals with the necessary resources to develop into their true authentic selves. The Young Community Planners of Long Beach Program meets a goal of the Plan to promote inclusive spaces and equity by engaging youth in urban planning, including park planning efforts.  

“The Young Community Planners program is an exciting way for youth to learn how they can impact the City they call home,” said PRM Director Brent Dennis. “This program supports the goals in Parks, Recreation and Marine’s newly adopted Strategic Plan for Youth and Emerging Adults that seeks to support youth in their journey to becoming empowered adults who are engaged in their community.” 

“The Cal Poly Pomona students are excited to connect the existing knowledge and experience of the youth participants to the skills and tools of the urban planning profession,” said Annette Koh, lecturer in Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design. “It’s especially meaningful as our Cal Poly undergrads come from similar backgrounds to the teens and are passionate about serving as mentors.” 

“Young Community Planners of Long Beach represents a unique partnership that invests in Long Beach youth by exposing them to the field of urban planning and design and encouraging them to create positive change in their community though their lived experience and activism,” said David Salazar, Executive Director of the Long Beach Community Design Center. “Our vision is that this program will generate understanding of the community planning process and spark interest in careers in the field of urban planning and design.” 

For more information and to register, teens should call or visit the Houghton Park Teen Center at 562.570.1640 or the McBride Park Teen Center at 562.570.1605, and visit @YOUAREPLANNING, the Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban Regional Planning Instagram page. 

More information about other PRM programs and activities for youth is available on their website at LBParks.org. 

About the City of Long Beach  Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.  

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.   

About the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) is recognized for excellence in management practices and programs, having received the National Parks and Recreation Association Gold Medal Award four times. PRM provides leisure programs and services to residents and visitors, which improve quality of life in Long Beach. PRM maintains 169 parks with 26 community centers, 320 acres of open space, and 6.1 miles of beaches; implements the City's Open Space Plan, provides recreational opportunities to meet diverse community needs, maintains public marinas, and provides for public safety and the humane treatment of animals.  

For more information about the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine programs and services, visit www.longbeach.gov/park. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.  

About Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design The College of Environmental Design (ENV) at Cal Poly Pomona connects people, places and the environments in which we live, work and play. A leader in design excellence, its programs use the rich creative economy and cultural capital of Southern California – and its geographical advantage as a global gateway for trade and ideas – to educate and train future designers to shape the future of the built and natural environments with resiliency, inclusivity and justice. ENV offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, urban and regional planning and a graduate degree in regenerative studies. For more information, visit https://www.cpp.edu/env/index.shtml 

About Long Beach Community Design Center The Long Beach Community Design Center is a non-profit organization that provides free design services to low-income and underserved communities, non-profit organizations, and assists municipal agencies in community economic development. Clients are matched with skilled volunteers from the fields of urban planning, architecture and engineering to gain design expertise to engage their communities, and define their visions. For more information, visit www.cpp.edu/env/index.shtml.

Strategic Plan for Youth and Emerging Adults LBParks.org http://longbeach.gov/ Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube www.longbeach.gov/park Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube https://www.cpp.edu/env/index.shtml

This press release was produced by the City of Long Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.