Right to the City

Location: International

Website:righttothecity.org

Through shared principles and a common frame and theory of change, RTTC is building a national movement for racial justice, urban justice, human rights, and democracy. RTTC seeks to create regional and national impacts in the fields of housing, human rights, urban land, community development, civic engagement, criminal justice, environmental justice, and more.

Right to the City was born out of desire and need by organizers and allies around the country to have a stronger movement for urban justice. But it was also born out of the power of an idea of a new kind of urban politics that asserts that everyone, particularly the disenfranchised, not only has a right to the city, but as inhabitants, have a right to shape it, design it, and operationalize an urban human rights agenda.

In the realm of ideas, a key resource and touchstone is “Le droite à la ville” (Right to the City) a book published in 1968 by French intellectual and philosopher Henri Lefebvre. In the sphere of human rights, this powerful idea was adopted by the World Urban Forum and elaborated into the World Charter of the Right to the City in 2004. Building from this powerful idea, international principles, and forward-looking grassroots organizing, the Right to the City Alliance was established in January 2007.

THE RIGHT TO THE CITY PLATFORM

Land for People vs. Land for Speculation:

The right to land and housing that is free from market speculation and that serves the interests of community building, sustainable economies, and cultural and political space.

Land Ownership:

The right to permanent ownership of urban territories for public use.

Economic Justice:

The right of working class communities of color, women, queer and transgender people to an economy that serves their interests.

Indigenous Justice:

The right of First Nation indigenous people to their ancestral lands that have historical or spiritual significance, regardless of state borders and urban or rural settings.

Environmental Justice:

The right to sustainable and healthy neighborhoods, workplaces, healing, quality health care, and reparations for the legacy of toxic abuses such as brown fields, cancer clusters, and superfund sites.

Freedom from Police State Harassment:

The right to safe neighborhoods and protection from police, INS/ICE, and vigilante repression, which has historically targeted communities of color, women, queer and transgender people.
Immigrant Justice:

The right of equal access to housing, employment, and public services regardless of race, ethnicity, and immigration status and without the threat of deportation by landlords, ICE, or employers.

Services and Community Institutions:

The right of working class communities of color to transportation, infrastructure and services that reflect and support their cultural and social integrity.

Democracy and Participation:

The right of community control and decision making over the planning and governance of the cities where we live and work, with full transparency and accountability, including the right to public information without interrogation.

Reparations:

The right of working class communities of color to economic reciprocity and restoration from all local, nation and transnational institutions that have exploited and/or displaced the local economy.

The right to support and build solidarity between cities across national boundaries, without state intervention.

The right of rural people to economically healthy and stable communities that are protected from environmental degradation and economic pressures that force migration to urban areas.

LA2050

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Website: www.la2050.org

LA2050 unites citizens, stakeholders, and organizations to address our region’s toughest challenges. LA2050 is rooted in a vision of a successful Los Angeles—a healthy, thriving, and desirable place to live.

LA2050 looks at the health of the region as it exists today along eight well-defined indicators: education, income & employment, housing, public safety, health, environmental quality, social connectedness, and arts & cultural vitality. And we’ve made informed projections about where we’ll be in the year 2050 if we continue on this current path.

The condition of Los Angeles today matters because who we are and how we live now sets us on a course for who we will be and how we will live tomorrow. We are confident that with your help, we will shape the LA story anew – and build the LA2050 of our aspirations.

Explore LA2050.
Follow the stories of these eight indicators.
Then join us to shape and build the future of Los Angeles.

California ReLeaf

Location: California

Website: www.californiareleaf.org

California ReLeaf works statewide to promote alliances among community-based groups, individuals, industry, and government agencies, encouraging each to contribute to the livability of our cities and the protection of our environment by planting and caring for trees.

California ReLeaf also serves as the State’s volunteer coordinator for urban forestry in partnership with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Our Mission:

- Expanding delivery of services and resources to California ReLeaf Network groups.

- Broadening funding opportunities for urban and community forestry projects.

- Fostering involvement within the urban forestry movement throughout California’s diverse communities.

- Improving legislative outreach and efforts on a state and federal level.

California ReLeaf’s programs are possible because of generous support from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the USDA Forest Service.

I-Tree

Location: Nationwide

Website: www.i-treetools.org

i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools.

The i-Tree Tools help communities of all sizes to strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the structure of community trees and the environmental services that trees provide.

Since the initial release of the i-Tree Tools in August 2006, numerous communities, non-profit organizations, consultants, volunteers and students have used i-Tree to report on individual trees, parcels, neighborhoods, cities, and even entire states.

By understanding the local, tangible ecosystem services that trees provide, i-Tree users can link urban forest management activities with environmental quality and community livability. Whether your interest is a single tree or an entire forest, i-Tree provides baseline data that you can use to demonstrate value and set priorities for more effective decision-making.

i-Tree Tools are in the public domain and are freely accessible. We invite you to explore this site to learn more about how i-Tree can make a difference in your community.

Institute for Transportation Development and Policy

Location: International

Website: www.idtp.org

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy works with cities worldwide to bring about sustainable transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of urban life.

Transportation is at the heart of many of the most pressing issues facing the world today - from climate change to public health. Yet, many people regard transportation as little more than a means to an end. In fact, transport networks are the pulse of a city, defining livability and urban space.

Decisions about whether to build highways or bus corridors or greenways have tremendous impact not only on the air we breathe and the price we way to get around, but also on the health of our planet.

Air Pollution:

Air pollution comes from many different sources such as factories, power plants, but one of the largest sources is from motor vehicles.

Climate Change:

The transportation sector is an enormous contributor of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable transportation planning and policy is crucial in reducing emissions and avoiding catastrophic global warming.

Health:

Transportation impacts health in various ways relating to air pollution, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, quality of life, and access to health care services.

Poverty Alleviation:

One key aspect of poverty alleviation is working to increase mobility for all residents. Access to safe and affordable transportation enables greater economic opportunities and quality of life.

Road Safety:

Road accidents cause staggering numbers of deaths and injuries, especially in the developing world. Most of those affected are pedestrians and cyclists in incidents that could be avoided with improved planning and policy.
Urbanization

The proportion of the world population living in cities is increasing at an unprecedented rate. In order to avoid crippling congestion and emissions, cities must adapt with sustainable transportation and integrated urban planning.