Community engagement around urban soil needs as a means to inform research

Kirsten Schwarz, Departments of Urban Planning & Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, Selena Mao, TreePeople, Selena Mao and Andres Gonzalez, University of California, Los Angeles, Yujuan Chen, TreePeople, Beverly Hills, CA

Background/Question/Methods
TreePeople, an environmental nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles (LA), CA, recently launched a Healthy Soils for Healthy Communities Initiative to determine the current status of LA urban soils, identify the most pressing urban soil issues in LA, and provide a framework for future urban soil research, policy, and education. An overarching goal of the first phase of the initiative was the co-production of an urban soil research, policy, and education agenda. In support of this goal, a series of seven focus groups were held from October to December in 2020 to assess perceptions, needs, and concerns regarding urban soil systems. Two focus groups were held for each of the following stakeholder groups: 1) technical aspects of soil management including engineering, urban and sustainability planning, and local government; 2) urban residential landscaping/gardening and urban agriculture; and 3) and community nonprofits and coalition groups. Participants were asked general questions regarding urban soil needs, challenges, solutions, and opportunities, as well as more specific questions related to their expertise and interest. The seventh and final focus group involved representatives from previous stakeholder groups to form a cross-disciplinary group to synthesize overarching themes and identify future directions.
Results/Conclusions
Key themes from the stakeholder groups were identified, as well as cross-cutting themes that were present across all groups. The cross-cutting themes emphasized, in particular, the need for a systems approach to healthy soils that integrates both social and ecological concerns and has clearly defined goals and outcomes. The importance of effective and meaningful community engagement was emphasized, including the need to address mistrust and past harm. Overwhelmingly, participants wanted an inclusive approach to healthy soils that recognized, valued, and centered the existing work of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color) communities, including youth and neighborhood councils. There was consistent interest in programming that addresses, distributes, and coordinates compost or food waste diversion, in addition to accessible, transparent soil data and testing. Finally, the need for building alliances among community and policy and science professionals was recognized, and the need for streamlined communication produced for, and in some cases by, underserved communities. Many participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to connect with others in the region around healthy soil goals and interest in continued conversation. However, some also voiced frustration over a lack of action-oriented work, insufficient funding, and the need for more inclusive representation from historically minoritized groups.