MENUEnvironmental Justice Communities Map
The equitable distribution of environmental benefits and the elimination of environmental burdens to promote healthy communities where all San Franciscans can thrive. Government can foster environmental justice through processes that address, mitigate, and amend past injustices while enabling proactive, community-led solutions for the future.
— San Francisco Planning Department
The SF Planning Department created the map above to "identify where 'Disadvantaged Communities' are located, defined as areas facing elevated pollution burden coupled with a high incidence of low-income residents." We added map markers to illustrate that the Recreation and Park Department has been installing artificial turf fields in these communities, increasing the pollution burden.
The San Francisco General Plan includes an Environmental Justice Framework—visions and priorities to advance health in communities of color and low-income communities that face higher pollution and other health risks. It is meant to guide City agencies and departments to reach environmental justice goals.
There are three categories of policy priorities in the EJF that are relevant to the Recreation and Park Department's plans to replace nearly 20 acres of grass with artificial turf and take access to the park away from the neighborhood community:
• Healthy and Resilient Environments
• Physical Activity and Healthy Public Facilities
• Empowered Neighborhoods
Below are excerpts from the priorities and how the Crocker Amazon renovation project goes against them.
Protect communities from all sources of pollution, including air, soil, water, and noise pollution. Contrary to this priority, the artificial turf will release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air, kill the soil below and leach "forever chemicals" and microplastics into our groundwater — which is blended into our drinking water — and into the bay. A new PA system will create noise pollution.
Restore natural habitats and the ecological function of the City by developing neighborhood-specific targets and stewardship programs for watersheds, tree canopy cover, green infrastructure, urban greening, and other biodiversity targets. Artificial turf fields eliminate habitats and biodiversity and have no beneficial ecological function. Artificial turf is toxic to watersheds. The stunning tree canopy will the cut down and wood-chipped. Artificial turf is green but it is neither green infrastructure nor urban greening.
Build community-based planning processes for San Franciscans to engage in local decision-making on healthy and resilient environments. The first community meeting about the renovation project was announced less than two weeks in advance. The Recreation and Park Department decided to use artificial turf without asking anyone from the neighborhood what they preferred. RPD already contracted Verde Design to fully design the park overhaul. Recreation and Park can choose to properly care for their natural grass fields and continue to keep these fields open to the public and available for baseball. The community wants natural grass.
Ensure that all public facilities are safe, clean, and inviting and offer safe and convenient access for people of all ages, abilities, and identities Artificial turf results in more sports injuries than natural grass, and it's filthy unless it is regularly disinfected -- which San Francisco RPD does not do. The Crocker Amazon renovation plans remove park access from everyone who currently uses the park for activities other than baseball.
Expand programs providing opportunities to engage with the natural world, such as community gardens, nature walks, environmental education, and other environmental programming offered in parks and public open spaces. 20 acres of nature will be replaced with plastic and enclosed in chain link fences. No more nature walks on the lawns.
Seek and devote resources to engaging meaningful, ongoing participation and community involvement in decisions that are most likely to impact EJ Communities. Not done. See above.
Develop a culture of transparency through proactive and accessible public notice, communication, and engagement from the City regarding projects that would impact EJ Communities. As noted above, the plans were already drawn and decisions made before renovation project announced.
Partner with the San Francisco Cultural Districts and other community institutions to expand outreach and communication between the City and EJ Communities. Crocker Amazon Park lies within the Pacific Islander Cultural District. San Franciscans with Samoan heritage have been playing cricket at Crocker Amazon for decades. Samoan cricket players came to the community meeting upset that the park plans would exclude them.
San Francisco Redlining Map
From the website Mapping Inequality
"Between 1935 and 1940, an agency of the federal government, the Home Owners' Loan Corporation, graded the "residential security" of thousands of American neighborhoods. By "security," they meant the relative security or riskiness of those areas for banks, saving and loans, and other lenders who made mortgages.
For each of these cities, they produced maps showing those grades. Neighborhoods they deemed "best" and safe investments were given a grade of A and colored green. Those that were deemed "hazardous" were given a grade of "D" and colored red.
Redlining was legal and practiced for decades. It dramatically affected the relative wealth—as well as the health—of different racial groups in America. Its impact is still with us today.
Tell the SF Rec & Park Commission and your Supervisor about the kind of park you want.
