Residents successfully advocate for a new park: Lessons learned from the Health Eating, Active Communities community of Chula Vista

Parks are important to a community's quality-of-life and have the potential to offer significant social, environmental and health benefits, particularly for reducing childhood overweight. The southwest section of Chula Vista, is a low income, predominantly Latino neighborhood close to the Mexico border with a high prevalence of childhood overweight that also lacks access to parks and open spaces. Inspired by John P. Kretsmann's book “Building Communities from the Inside Out,” Chula Vista residents (under the guidance and direction of the South Bay Partnership, a Healthy Eating, Active Communities grantee) embarked on an asset-based community mapping of their neighborhood. This process resulted in advocacy for, and development of, the first park built in their community in 25 years.

This presentation will address the development of, and strategies used by, the Chula Vista Neighborhood Council Initiative (NCI): a grassroots group of community residents motivated to create changes in their community by addressing them in a culturally appropriate manner. The strategies that NCI used for engaging the community to advocate for, and participate in the development of the new park will be discussed. These strategies include: a) an appropriate park site identification assessment, b) prioritization of community priorities, c) community advocacy, d) meeting with city officials and staff, and e) community engagement activities. Appropriate siting of the park enables the Health and Human Services agency next door to incorporate the space in walking meetings and other efforts to promote physical activity.

Collaboration between the South Bay Partnership and the City of Chula Vista Parks and Recreation Department on this project resulted in a strengthened, now ongoing, relationship that better facilitates community input into parks and recreation resources. Community engagement resulted in a process whereby residents, including youth, contributed to the design of Harborside Park, which now sees a diverse range of resident use. This presentation will share the unfolding successes of park development and inclusion of health language in the parks master plan. Many communities struggling to gain equitable access to parks and open spaces for low-income and diverse communities may benefit from learning of the successes and challenges of policy strategies used to increase park space in Chula Vista.