South L.A. among communities awarded state grants for climate projects
South L.A. can thank climate change for its growth and its booming community of arts and culture
By Alexei Wood
May 24, 2019
Miguel Contreras
Photo: Contreras Studio
It’s no surprise that the San Fernando Valley is home to so many of the nation’s largest industries, from medical research to oil refining to the film and television industries.
But there’s more to the region than just that, particularly when it comes to cities like San Fernando — which over the last half century has seen an explosion of economic growth across a wide variety of industries, and which is now regarded as one of the fastest-growing urban centers in the country.
The growth has been powered largely by people coming out of poverty, as well as by an influx of people from the Latino community into communities like South L.A., which is increasingly becoming a magnet for people who are looking to make a lifestyle transition and escape a life of lower-level jobs in L.A.’s working class neighborhoods.
The region is becoming known as a new frontier of human potential and creative industry, with the opening of movie studios and the creation of multiple movie theaters bringing new life into the city. It’s also one of the most urbanized areas in America, and a city where the city itself continues to grow despite its high poverty rate.
The growth has put South L.A. among communities that are experiencing growth around the state, including Beverly Hills, Glendale, Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley. In many cases, it’s a boom — at least compared to just one or two decades ago, when it was a city at the brink of extinction.
All of these factors played a role in making this year’s California Climate Action Fund grant recipients eligible to receive $1.5 million in public and private funds that are providing much-needed support for programs that support economic and climate resilience in the region, a spokesperson for the California Governor’
