On July 11, APIFM’s Sustainable SGV Coalition held its second meeting of the year at the Langley Senior Center in Monterey Park. During this meeting, we organized a deeper discussion on community priorities, learned the steps taken by San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action (SGVPA) to ban data centers in Monterey Park, and introduced members to the San Gabriel Mountains Forever Campaign.
During our community priorities discussion, we revisited topics from our first coalition meeting’s community priorities assessment. Participants had raised concerns about issues such as air pollution, extreme heat, food insecurity, and lack of third spaces. This time, members had the opportunity to brainstorm and share their input on actionable solutions to address these local concerns. Some of the proposed solutions included opening more cooling centers in West San Gabriel Valley, planting more trees to expand tree canopies, and advocating for cities to increase access to affordable supermarkets in food desert neighborhoods. Members also agreed that the community would benefit from increased access to park spaces and cleaner public spaces at parks and bus stops.
APIFM’s Program Manager Je-Show Yang, who also volunteers for the SGVPA, presented SGVPA’s campaign to ban data centers in Monterey Park. The presentation covered the strategies implemented and how the campaign gained support throughout the local area. Key strategies mentioned during the presentation included public outreach through social media, community protests, and advocacy for policy action at the local level.
APIFM’s Program Coordinator Esther Tam, wrapped up the meeting by introducing community members to the SGMF campaign. She discussed the Transit to Trails initiative, which aims to create an accessible way for community members to reach hiking trails via public transit. The initiative also aims to create opportunities for the community to learn about and engage with nature, especially for those living in urban areas with limited access to green space.
