The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) is continuing its collaboration with the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design and the Long Beach Community Design Center to present the Young Community Planners of Long Beach program for a second year. The free urban planning program is geared for teens ages 13 to 18 who are interested in city planning and development.
“Our Young Community Planners program is a great opportunity for youth interested in urban planning to learn, grow and gain hands-on experience in the process,” said Mayor Rex Richardson.
Instructed by Cal Poly Pomona and Long Beach Community Design Center staff, the Young Community Planners of Long Beach program guides participants in hands-on experiences about the urban planning process, including how city spaces and amenities are designed to best suit the needs of the population. Participants also learn insights on how to build a better city and about sustainability, mobility and the City’s history. Teens will gain an appreciation for their ability to help shape the place they live.
The program workshops will be held on Wednesday, March 1 and 8, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the following PRM Teen Center locations:
- Admiral Kidd Park Teen Center, 2125 Santa Fe Ave.
- Houghton Park Teen Center, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
- McBride Park Teen Center, 1520 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
Registration is now open and will remain open until all spots are filled or until the program begins March 1. Registration is available by calling or visiting the Admiral Kidd Teen Center at 562.570.1600, the Houghton Park Teen Center at 562.570.1640 or the McBride Park Teen Center at 562.570.1605. Teen Centers are open weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.
“The opportunity to learn about the field of urban planning allows young people to discover how they can make a positive impact in their City,” said PRM Director Brent Dennis.
The Young Community Planners of Long Beach program supports goals outlined in PRM’s Strategic Plan under “connecting with schools, libraries, nonprofits, businesses, and arts organizations to expand PRM programming,” and “increasing community-based and industry-aligned career development opportunities and work-based learning classes to youth.”
“Young people deserve the opportunity to shape the cities they live in,” said Annette Koh, lecturer in Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design. “Our Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students are thrilled to be able to share about and learn from Long Beach teens on environmental justice, transportation and urban design.”
“The Design Center is excited about continuing the Young Community Planners of Long Beach program with the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department to expose our youth to the field of urban planning and design and encourage them to create positive change in their community,” said David Salazar, Executive Director of the Long Beach Community Design Center and Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. “We envision that this program will not only generate understanding of the community planning process but along spark an interest to pursue a college degree and career in field of urban planning and design.”
For more information and to register, teens should call or visit the participating teen centers and visit @youareplanning, the Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban Regional Planning Instagram page.