FOOD & PUBLIC SPACE
Food and Public Space Committee
The Food and Public Space Committee provides support for the creation of an environment that is welcoming and engaging for all community members, and that fosters emotional well-being, physical activity, and access to nutritious food.
Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. Ashley Falcon, University of Miami, Arely Lozano Cantu, Urban Health Partnerships,
Dr. Corinna Moebius, Terra Viva JourneysConsult our running Food and Public Space Committee minutes here.
Consult the Food and Public Space Committee Community Action Plan (CAP).
All HLH Committee Meetings are currently on hold until further notice.
Projects
Heat Sensors in Homes: Protecting Little Havana from Extreme Heat
Healthy Little Havana is proud to support the City of Miami’s “Heat Sensors in Homes” initiative, a project funded by the C40 Cities Heat, Health, and Equity Challenge Fund. In partnership with the Office of Resilience and Sustainability and The Miami Foundation, this project seeks to better understand how extreme heat affects residents in Climate Justice Communities.
From July to October, indoor and outdoor heat sensors are being hosted in homes across seven neighborhoods, including Little Havana. As a trusted community partner, we help play a key role in recruiting participating households, helping with sensor deployment, and educating residents about heat safety and available resources. Participating households receive compensation for their time and contributions.
This project will help the City identify local heat impacts, inform future cooling strategies, and advocate for long-term solutions rooted in equity and lived experience.
Read more about the project via the Miami Times here.
Read more about the C40 here.
For more information on the City of Miami’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, click here.
A photographic and narrative series that documents the real lives and working conditions of outdoor laborers as they battle extreme heat and climate gentrification.
Our annual cultural festival takes place on November 1st or 2nd of every year.
Dia de los Muertos
We are working on bringing a food pantry to the Healthy Little Havana office with funds from the American Heart Association. We are also collaborating with Buddy System to bring a community fridge to the office.
Food Pantry
Porque Amo Mi Barrio, Cuido Mi Barrio
Pedestrian Priority Zones
Transit Benches
2020
Little Havana residents use public transit three times more than the general population in Miami-Dade County, but because of constraints in the right-of-way, there are many locations without a bench to wait for the service. The Have a Seat project aims to enhance the transit experience for Little Havana residents who ride the Miami-Dade County bus and City of Miami trolley by installing 35 narrow benches in and around the neighborhood. The Have a Seat 2020 project is led by Urban Health Partnerships, which is an expansion of a 2018 AARP-funded HLH-supported pilot project where 12 benches were installed in an area of Little Havana with a large older adult population. Where else is a transit bench needed in Little Havana? Please share with us via social media @LiveHealthyLH.
SHADE
2017-2018
In 2017, the Health Foundation of South Florida (HFSF) and Miami-Dade County were selected to participate in Round 9 of Partners for Places to grow the success of the SHADE project. Live Healthy Little Havana, Citizens for a Better South Florida, and the City of Miami partnered to bring shade trees to transit routes in Little Havana.
Vamonos
2017-2018
In 2018, ¡Vamos a Jugar! was a community-led process where Healthy Little Havana’s (HLH) partner Urban Health Partnerships (UHP) worked with residents of Little Havana, Citrus Grove Elementary/Middle school students, and parents to design a space to play and meet with family and friends. Together they created a “Play Trail” in an area of Little Havana that lacks open space for residents to connect with neighbors and that supports their emotional wellbeing. This project is an extension of a HLH UHP-led Healthy Little Havana Vámonos campaign that is focused on increasing walking, bicycling, and riding transit in Little Havana.