Boyle Heights

Boyle Heights is undergoing a Community Plan Update that will determine outcomes in housing, mobility, public space and more. It’s a big opportunity to fight climate change.

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Scroll through the slides below to learn about climate risks on the Westside

The Community Plan Update is a Huge Opportunity for Climate Action and Equity

The Boyle Heights Community Plan Update as described by LA City Builds upon its distinctive, pedestrian friendly, traditional neighborhood character. The update envisions a plan that is supportive of environmental quality, economic vitality, and urban design that promotes safe and walkable neighborhoods.

The draft plan includes many policies that address climate change and build resilience such as urban greening, tree canopy expansion and industrial buffer zones. Read on to learn about the climate risks we face and what solutions are available to keep Boyle Heights vibrant and resilient.

Summers in Boyle Heights are hot. They’re going to get hotter, and longer.

Boyle Heights could see 18-27 days above 95 degrees a year (currently 9 days a year) by 2040 and 26-45 days above 95° between 2070-2100. Extreme heat is a serious threat, and causes more deaths than all other US disasters combined. The low amount of tree canopy and high amount of pavement in Boyle Heights means that the Urban Heat Island Effect can raise the temperature an additional 1.8-5.4°F during the day and as much as 22°F in the evening.

Heat worsens air quality, and Boyle Heights faces dozens of different pollution sources.

Between freeways and industrial sites, Boyle Heights has historically been disproportionately exposed to dirty air. Ozone, Diesel and car exhaust can cause cancer, as well as heart and lung disease. Just recently on 8/18/20, the temperature neared 100 degrees in Boyle Heights and we saw ozone levels reach 112 parts per billion, nearly double the EPA safe threshold (70 ppb).

Rent burden and displacement are climate issues, too.

55% of residents in Boyle Heights pay more than half of their income on rent. Housing burden can have negative implications for health, and cause people to need to make difficult decisions like not turning on the AC during a heatwave, or still going to work outside on a bad air day. We also need to think about the displacement effect that community improvements can have, and ensure that resilience efforts in the area benefit the residents that live in Boyle Heights today.

Let's Fix it

Shade

Increasing tree canopy and other shade options will reduce the effects of extreme heat and air pollution. Street trees and shade can reduce surface temperatures up to 40°, protecting people outdoors and reducing energy costs when placed near buildings.

Cool Technology

Cool roofs and pavement can reflect 20-60% of solar energy back into space. This solar reflectivity helps reduce the urban heat island effect by storing less heat than traditional asphalt, which can contribute to as much as 22° of warming at night.

Hydration Stations

Expanding publicly available hydration stations can help reduce many heat-related health effects. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of heat exhaustion, and hydration stations can make outdoor spaces more accessible and safe to all on hot days.

Buffer zones

Creating more space between industrial sites and homes and schools will improve health outcomes. Greater distance from pollution sources allows harmful compounds to disperse more. This effect can be enhanced greatly by trees and other greenery.

Enhanced Mobility

Closing the gaps in bike & pedestrian infrastructure will save lives and encourage the curtailing of emissions. This solution should be integrated with other solutions like shade.

Affordable housing

Increasing the amount of affordable housing in Boyle Heights can help reduce displacement pressure, and ensure that residents have opportunities to avoid paying huge percentages of their income on rent. Facilitating options like social housing and community land trusts can also allow more opportunities for affordable home ownership.

Renter protections

Policies like right to purchase and right to counsel can help prevent improvements to Boyle Heights from displacing current residents. Neighborhood and home stability allow for greater social networks and communities to be built and maintained, which are pivotal in climate disruptions.