Building equitable and resilient soils for a healthier Los Angeles

The LA Urban Soil Social Impact Collaborative (LAUSSIC) is a community-university partnership that aims to leverage university research and resources, and apply local and Indigenous knowledge to advance equitable access to healthy soils. Our work aims to implement a comprehensive and co-produced model for clean soils in Los Angeles through community soil testing and education, clean soil resources and remediation, and policy change.

Our Focus

We strive to scale and implement a set of strategies co-produce soil priorities:

(1) A community soil testing program and synergistic soil curriculum

(2) A novel bioremediation program that includes residential soil banking with co-located composting hubs, and community-engaged bioremediation on high-priority sites, and

(3) Policy analysis to advance urban soil systems in LA and serve as a nationwide model.

The long-term goals of this work are to improve equitable access to healthy soils and services that support climate-resilient futures, co-power partners to adopt evidence-based soil strategies, and train the future generation of scientists in community-engaged co-produced science