Parks and green spaces are essential community infrastructure that protect public health and promote mental wellbeing—made clearer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parks provide people opportunities for physical activity, time in nature, social connection, and respite. They also help mitigate the impacts of climate change by cooling temperatures, cleansing air, filtering stormwater, and replenishing groundwater. However, all communities do not have access to safe, well maintained, and programmed green spaces.

 

Following a highly competitive selection process, One Love Global is one of just 14 groups across the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico to be awarded a $500,000 P3 grant over the next two years.

 

One Love Global and Peace & Prosperity Youth Action Movement (PPM) Detroit will work to increase Black youth voice in Detroit’s city government decision-making around green space and environmental issues, and influence how ARPA funds are spent. Black Detroiters face the brunt of environmental and racial injustice, including lack of safe green space; flooding; toxic air, water, and food; decaying public infrastructures; redlining; destructive “urban renewal” and highway construction; and gentrification. With incoming American Rescue Plan Act funds, this is a critical moment to prioritize youth voice in park and green space in Detroit.

 

PPM is an organizing home for youth, ages 12 to high school graduation to network with another, build collective power, and improve their community year-round. PPM Detroit prioritizes Environmental Justice as one of its key issues, with a focus on increasing access to, ownership of, and the sense of belonging that Black youth experience in green spaces. They also focus on related issues of Community Safety & Ending Violence by strengthening neighborly ties and ending gun, police, gender-based violence, without increasing the size and scope of the criminal-legal system, and Education Justice, ensuring their schools have the resources they need.