MSGISci Student Angelica Cruz – 1st Place Winner & Beach Voices Feature
MSGISci Student Angelica Cruz is the 1st Place Winner for her Research Poster – Importance of Green Spaces in Long Beach – presented at the Green Generation Mixer Sustainability Showcase on 4/17/2025. She was also prominently recognized by CSULB as a Beach Voices feature!
Abstract: This project aims to highlight environmental racism in Long Beach, CA and the importance of equitable access to greenspaces by exploring the intersecting relationship between historical redlining, Urban Heat Island effect (UHI), and disproportionate vegetation levels in marginalized and under-resourced communities.
By 2050, more than 68% of the global population will live in cities. Long Beach is the second largest city in Los Angeles County and the seventh largest city in California with a population of over 458,800 residents. Urban areas with a higher concentration and density of structures, paved infrastructure, human related activities, and lack of greenspaces contribute to increased temperatures that create UHI.
Greenspaces in cities mitigate the effects of pollution and can reduce the UHI effect emphasizing the importance of increasing green infrastructure while also addressing environmental justice and equity. Green infrastructure enhances community safety and quality of life, and can be done at the local level by planting trees, restoring native habitats and wetlands. We can use the natural world to make urban environments healthier and more livable. Greenspaces are vital for urban ecosystems, promoting sustainable and healthy city development.
Recognizing the intersectional relationship between greenspace inequity, environmental issues, poor health, and the socioeconomic disadvantages of marginalized communities opens the conversation of social inequity and health disparities to groups that are historically excluded from the decision and policy making process. Investing in the community’s well-being is just as important as preserving the natural environment, as the loss of human potential is detrimental to the planet.