Sustainability report
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SylmarSustainabilityreport.pptxDiana Villalobos
Professor Vrat
URBS 310
December 1st, 2017
Sylmar, California Sustainability Report
Introduction
Summary
Recommendations
Neighborhood Description
Methodology
Sustainability Assessment
Built Environment
Climate and Energy
Economy & Jobs
Education, Art & Community
Equality and Empowerment
Health & Safety
Innovation and Process
References
Table of contents
My neighborhood, Sylmar California, is located within the San Fernando Valley region in Los Angeles. It’s a family friendly neighborhood with a population of less 100,000 persons. Throughout this presentation we will be examining the sustainability of my city, meaning how Sylmar maintains the rate levels of a Built Environment, Climate and energy, Education, Arts, and Community, Economy and Jobs, Equity and Empowerment, Health and Safety, and lastly Natural Systems.
Introduction
In summary, in recent years the city of Sylmar has built many low income housing complexes that allow those with low income to find a place to call home. With funds signed off by Mayor Villaragiorsa in 2012, the efforts to increase resource efficiency continue to assist major building corporations and complexes to help save energy in cities within Los Angeles. Because of programs that help students further their education, jobs are created that help the local economy and help with the advertising of the importance of donations and volunteering. As well as volunteer programs and clinics that make places like Mend and Vista CHC continue to provide for those in need. The city of Sylmar although experiencing many close wild fires, the air quality seems to be at healthy levels, but people should try and use other forms of transportation so carbon monoxide wont be transmitted into our ozone layer. If we all continue to help out the best possible way we can, we’ll be able to take care of those around us and our environment.
summary
Recommendations
| Sustainability Topics | Recommendations |
| Built Environment | Advertisement for to low income housing should be made available to those in need of affordable housing in Sylmar. |
| Climate Energy | Emphasize more the importance of energy efficiency and saving energy in homes. |
| Economy and Jobs | More advertising for jobs other than fast food places. Places like staffing agencies that help people get jobs at offices. |
| Education, Arts, and Community | Leave as is. |
| Equity and Empowerment | Emphasize the importance of donations and volunteering at human services centers. |
| Health and Safety | Leave as is. |
| Natural Systems | Educate people about the Air Quality website so that people are aware of the air quality of their city daily, especially when there are wildfires around their areas to ensure safety of going outside. |
This report provides the Sustainability Analysis for Sylmar California using the STAR Community Rating System. The STAR rating system consists of seven sustainability-rating areas. Within each area, applicable sustainability criteria were selected and used to rate the existing neighborhood. In these seven topic areas, there are various and specific cells below them. Out of these various cells in the seven sustainability areas, there will be a cell that will be analyzed and the rates for each of these cells will show levels of Low, Medium, and High. Level of Low shows the overall grade assessment for the goals that need improvement the most; Medium means it needs somewhat improvements, but more sustainability work. As for the level of high, it sets a great level of sustainability. These levels are the overview of the progress that the community of San Francisco and there are specific recommendations for increasing sustainability.
Methodology
(Stars Community, 2012)
The City of Sylmar is a diverse city within the San Fernando Valley. It was once known for its huge distribution of Olive Orchards and its past can be traced back to the founding of San Fernando Mission. Sylmar’s weather was once considered to be healthy, but now because of so much climate change, the weather in this area seems to stay mostly warm year round. Today, there are fourteen public and eight private schools within the city of Sylmar. The total population of Sylmar as of today according to point2homes.com, is 91,245 persons, 45,588 males and 45,657 females.
Neighborhood description
Me in my neighborhood
Me buying from my local corner market
Me at my favorite sushi place Xevichez
(BE-4) Housing Affordability
Existing Conditions
- Sylmar offers many housing complex's that fit the needs of low income families. Recently, many new apartments have been built in areas that were once vacant lots. Specific low income housing information can be found online or at those facilities themselves. According to https://www.lowincomehousing.us/CA/sylmar.html , there are about 15 low income housing offers within Sylmar, which actually happen to be very close to my home.
Recommendations:
- The city should do a bit more of advertising on these low income housing complexes and public spaces so that people feel more apart of the community.
Built Environment purpose: achieve livability, choice, & access for all where people live, work, and play
RATING: HIGH
RATING: MEDIUM
(CE-3) Greening The Energy Supply
Existing Conditions
- Although there isn’t much evidence of energy supply consumption in Sylmar, within the greater Los Angeles area there is. In 2012 Mayor Antonio Villaragiorsa joined the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program; the goal of this program funds to reduce energy consumption in public buildings, multi-family affordable housing, and commercial buildings. The funds were also used to tackle climate change problems. (Chu,2012)
Plans were made for future temperature changes and detailed data was made to help others save energy. An ex: Solar panels
Recommendation: Emphasize more importance on energy efficiency and saving energy in homes.
Climate and Energy Purpose: Reduce climate impacts through adaption and mitigation efforts and increase resource energy
(EJ-3) Local Economy
Existing Conditions:
-Occupational Employment in San Fernando Valley: 66.6% White collar, 33.4% Blue Collar (point2homes.com)
StarWaggon’s production have been using lots all across Southern California but the impact they have for the local economy is massive since they use Sylmar lots as its headquarters (StarWaggons: A Star For The Local Economy).
They employ about 100 workers to build and maintain the company’s fleet (StarWaggons: A Star For The Local Economy).
There are also many places as well as websites where jobs are offered within the entire san Fernando valley. One example is my sisters job, she works for a staffing agency that helps people find jobs. Ultimate Roth Staffing
Recommendations: More advertising for jobs other than fast food places.
Economy and jobs purpose: create equitably shared property and access to quality jobs
RATING: MEDIUM
RATING: HIGH
(EAC-3) Educational Opportunity and Attainment
Existing Conditions
- There are a lot of education opportunities in Sylmar. Aside from the public schools and private schools, there are also continuation programs for people who never finished high school, pregnant teens, even classes just to learn the basis of English or computer skills, or tutoring and volunteering opportunities for all occasions.
Because of programs like these graduation rates in all of greater Los Angeles have increased. As of 2016 the graduation rate was 83.2% (Kholi, 2017).
Recommendations
- Leave as is.
Education, arts, and community purpose: empower vibrant, educated, connected, and diverse community
(EE-5) Human Services
Existing Conditions
-The biggest known Human Service center in Sylmar and San Fernando valley is MEND. Mend offers food, clothing, medical, eye care, dental, educational, and training services.
-To qualify household incomes need to be below the poverty guidelines and live in the service areas like Pacoima, Arleta, Sylmar, Lake View Terrace, North Hills, and Mission Hills. Services are also offered by MEND in Panorama City and Sun Valley (mendpoverty.org/our-programs).
-Recommendations: Emphasize the importance of donations and volunteering at Human Services centers.
Equity and Empowerment Purpose: ensure equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity for all residents
RATING:HIGH
(HS-2 Community Health)
Existing Conditions
Sylmar houses a very big community health center called Vista CHC. This health center provides services such as family practice health care, women’s services, sports physicals, TB testing, free condoms, and preventive health care education.
Those eligible for these services are those who fit the poverty levels of the Federal Government.
They accept various types of health insurances and also offer free cholesterol and diabetes screening (vistachc.org).
Recommendations: Leave as is. This is a great service for those who can't afford expensive health care.
Health and safety Purpose: Strengthen communities to be healthy, resilient, and safe places for residents and businesses
RATING:HIGH
(NS-4) Outdoor Air Quality
Existing Conditions
As of today, Sylmar’s air quality is considered to be Satisfactory and houses no risks(https://weather.weatherbug.com/life/air-quality/sylmar-ca-91342)
The website above can actually be checked daily for a daily report of the air quality of the city.
The use of many cars release carbon monoxide into the air that becomes hazardous to the ozone layer.
Recommendations: Educate people a bit more about the access to this website so that people are aware of the air quality of their city daily, especially when there are wildfires around their areas to ensure safety of going outside.
Natural Systems purpose: Protect and restore the natural resource base upon which life depends
RATING: MEDIUM
1. Chu, John. “The City of Los Angeles Has It’s Spotlight on Energy Efficiency,” Energy.gov, 30 July 2012, WEB. 20 Nov 2017.
2. Kohli, Sonali. “California and LA Unified Graduation Rates Continue to Increase. “Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times. 12 April 2017. Web. 20 Nov 2017.
3. About-Us-VistaCHC-Vista Community Health Center- clinic, 8 Aug. 2017, Web. 20 Nov 2017.
4. “StarWaggons: A Star for the Local Economy.” Film LA., Inc., 16 Aug. 2016, Web. 20 Nov 2017.
5. “Sylmar, Ca Local Air Quality Index and Air Pollution Reports”. Weatherbug.com. Local and National Weather Forecasts, Radar and News. 1 Dec. 2017, Web. 20 Nov. 2017.
6. “Sylmar, CA Low Income Housing.” Low Income Housing, 16 Sept. 2016, Web. 20 Nov. 2017.
7. “Sylmar Demographics”. 7 Oct 2017, Web. 14 Nov. 2017.
References
