EnviroAtlas people 4 health 4 nature 4 economy Community Summary Fact Sheet www. epa. go v/ enviroatlas Los Angeles, CA and vicinity Towns and cities rely on clean air, clean water, green space, and other natural amenities for economic sustainability and quality of life, yet their benefits are not always fully understood or considered in local decisions. EPA and its partners are producing EnviroAtlas to help communities better use environmental assets for public good. EnviroAtlas includes an online interactive mapping application that anyone can use. The interactive map contains over 300 maps available for the U.S., as well as 100+ fine-scale maps for selected U.S. communities about existing and potential benefits from the local natural environment. The EnviroAtlas community component is based on 1-meter resolution land cover data. Information derived from these data is summarized by census block groups; more spatially explicit map layers are also provided. This fact sheet highlights some of the many community data layers available for the featured area of Los Angeles, CA. Background The EnviroAtlas boundary for this area was determined using the Los Angeles, CA county boundary. In addition to Los Angeles, it includes the cities of Lancaster, Santa Monica, Burbank, Long Beach, and Beverly Hills. The area measures 11,098 square kilometers and encompasses 6,421 census block groups. The area contains parts of the Mojave Basin and Range, Southern California Mountains, and Southern California/Northern Baja Coast ecoregions. The county ranges from a Mediterranean climate in the south to a cold, semi-arid steppe climate north of the Transverse Ranges. Percent Land Cover in Community Area ¦ Water ¦ Impervious Soil & Barren ¦ Trees & Forest ¦ Shrub ¦ Grass & Herbaceous Woody Wetlands ¦ Emergent Wetlands The county has diverse native vegetation due to the coastal, mountainous and steppe climates, but much of the coastal region has been cleared due to urbanization. The leading industry sectors in the area are international trade, entertainment, and technology. The City and County of Los Angeles, AECOM, University of California - Los Angeles, and the six major film studios are among the largest employers. The demographics of the area indicate that the potential exists for income and other disparities in the distribution of environmental assets. EnviroAtlas includes demographic maps that can help screen for potential health and well-being disparities resulting from disproportionate distribution of urban natural features. Los Angeles Area Demographics 2010 Census Total population 9,818,599 Under 13 years old 17.1% Over 70 years of age 7.6% Other than white/non- Hispanic 72.2% Below twice the U.S. poverty level 36.8% CONTINUED ON BACK ~ Los Angeles 0 10 20 40 Kilometers Lancaster Palmdale Santa Clarita Service Layer Credits: Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS. NRCAN, GeoBase. IGN. Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community ------- Ecosystem Services Overview In EnviroAtlas, the benefits humans receive from nature are grouped into seven categories that demonstrate the interconnectedness of these ecosystem services: • Clean air • Clean and plentiful water • Natural hazard mitigation • Climate stabilization • Recreation, culture, and aesthetics • Biodiversity conservation • Food, fuel, and materials (data available only for communities with farm land) Examples of some of the data included in EnviroAtlas are detailed below: Near-Road Environments Studies indicate that the capacity of trees to filter and deflect airflow may reduce the health impacts of vehicular pollution on nearby populations. In EnviroAtlas, you can find detailed maps of tree coverage along both high-speed and walkable roads. In the Los Angeles community area: • An estimated 77 percent of the population lives within 300 meters of a high-speed roadway. This distance is within the zone of air pollutant drift from unobstructed roadways. • For 83 percent of the of the estimated population living within this 300-meter zone, nearby high- speed roads have less than 25% adjacent tree cover. • Depending on local factors, specific areas may benefit from vegetative or other physical barriers to reduce vehicular air pollutant drift. Access to Parks Parks provide access to green space, encourage physical activity, and improve the livability and aesthetics of urban areas. Those who live closer to parks may be more likely to receive the multiple benefits associated with this proximity. Easily accessible parks are generally considered to be within 500 meters" walking distance, which takes less than 15 minutes for an average healthy person. • An estimated 34 percent of the Los Angeles County population has a park entrance within 500 meters" walking distance (dark and medium green areas in figure above). EnviroAtlas Tools and Features • Learn more about EnviroAtlas data: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-data • Search our data layers and access their fact sheets: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-dvnamic-data-matrix • Explore data for the Los Angeles community area in our interactive mapping application: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-interactive-map • Use our Eco-ITealth Relationship Browser to explore ecosystems, the services they provide, and their benefits to human health and well-being: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-eco-health-relationship-browser • Contact us with questions about EnviroAtlas: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/forms/contact-enviroatlas s^W!7T|., i Hj Oxnard Estimated walking distance to a park entrance (m) ¦ 250 ¦ 251 - 500 ¦ 501 - 750 ¦ 751 - 1,000 1,001 -2,000 ¦ 2,001 -3,000 ¦ 3,001 - 4,000 ¦ 4.001 -5,000 > 5,000 Rc Cue, omona Core Santa Ana 6829 if Proximity to Parks EnviroAtlas combines maps, graphs, and other analysis tools, fact sheets, and downloadable data into an easy-to-use, web-based educational and decision-support tool. EnviroAtlas helps users understand the connections between the benefits we derive from ecosystem services and the natural resources that provide them. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov/enviroatlas. September 2019 ------- |