Research and Information Destination Hub

Enhancing Ecosystems and Human Well-Being in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability (“LA Urban Center”) operates through a partnership among the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region and Research Station and the City of Los Angeles (City Plants and Recreation and Parks). Joining in this collaboration are the many Federal, State, and local government partners as well as academia, industry, private, and non-profit organizations concerned with urban natural resources and socioecological resilience. For more information about our work, check out our strategic plan.

MISSION

To serve as an information and research destination hub that fosters collaboration, generates new science, delivers information and technology to aid application, and engages diverse communities and knowledge bases through shared learning.

VISION

Improved and enhanced urban natural resources and quality of life throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area, from urban to rural communities.

GOALS

These goals inform the LA Urban Center’s priorities and provide guidance actions and decisions. Research and application areas generally focus on urban natural resources sustainability and socioecological resilience including inquiries focused on trees, water, air, soil, and sociocultural aspects.

Leverage and foster the network of partnerships among organizations, local governments, and communities to sustain and enhance the quality and function of urban natural resources and well-being in the region;

Convene a community of research and practice to share resources toward improving understanding of the critical functions of urban ecosystems and their response to biological, physical and social change;

Assess social and ecological trends that inform resident actions, management, and policy directions aiding long term resilience;

Develop and deliver information and tools that improve resilience, with an emphasis on social and ecological communities at risk;

Connect urban communities through engagement and volunteerism to foster knowledge, understanding, and stewardship of the natural environment;

Create and deliver collaborative learning opportunities for youth in natural resource careers; and

Deliver activities and programs that are responsive to community-based concerns, needs, and priorities seeking equitable benefit across LA’s diverse communities.