Building soil by building community: How can an interdisciplinary approach better support community needs and urban resilience?

Given the interrelated problems of climate change, energy and resource scarcity, challenge supporting critical natural systems in cities, urban dwellers may be exceptionally vulnerable to impacts change. While a number programs policies have been developed implemented help reduce environmental social change on communities, we argue that effective sustainable must not only consider how changing environment but also communities interact with impact environment. Specifically, drawing case study needs assessment Healthy Soils for Communities Initiative conducted Los Angeles (LA) County, CA as model Virtuous Cycle Framework, attempted better understand residents land, green spaces, soil means finding ways address some health disparities many experience, while exploring improve support its capacity provide essential ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration, water filtration, food biomass production). A unique feature our approach is it involved an interdisciplinary multi-level partnership composed well-established organization dedicated forestry, justice, resilience, university faculty researchers who human behavior human-nature relationships, government partners, and, most importantly, community members, among others. The first step understanding members their collecting survey focus group data from LA County assess attitudes, beliefs, behaviors around land soil. Results were used explore strategies deepening engagement, addressing knowledge gaps, shaping would benefit just people live/work LA, other rely This article integrates previously published findings new results pertain specifically demonstrates are being inform community-based interventions policy public education demonstration projects).