Environmental Justice & Open Space Element
City of Fullerton's Update to the General Plan
Environmental Justice and
Open Space Elements
Help Shape Fullerton's Future - Take the Open Space & Environmental Justice Survey! Your feedback will directly guide the goals and policies in Fullerton's Open Space and Environmental Justice Elements. By sharing your thoughts, you'll help create plans that reflect what matters most to our community - cleaner air, safer parks, and healthier neighborhoods.
The City of Fullerton is updating its Open Space Element and creating its first-ever Environmental Justice Element within the General Plan to meet new state requirements.
These updates will help ensure everyone in our city has access to healthy, safe, and vibrant spaces.
What's changing:
• New Environmental Justice Element (Senate Bill 1000):
Cities must now include environmental justice in their plans -- focusing on reducing health risks, improving community participation, and prioritizing programs in areas that need them most.
• Open Space Element Update (Senate Bill 1425):Updates to parks and green space policies to reflect climate change, access, and future sustainability goals.
English an update to its Open Space Element as part of the General Plan and has now released the Element for Public Review! Kindly Provide any thoughts or questions on the Public Review Draft By March 20, 2026. Public review comments should be submitted to Yan Gao at [email protected].
By sharing your thoughts, you'll help to shape plans that reflect what matters most to our community - cleaner air, safer parks and healthier neighborhoods.
Update - The City of Fullerton is working to protect the health and wellbeing of every resident — especially those most impacted by pollution and environmental hazards.
We're developing our first-ever Environmental Justice Element as part of a major General Plan update, and we need your input to shape it. Your feedback will directly shape the goals and policies in this plan - don't miss your chance to make your priorities heard. Send your comments to Yan Gao at [email protected] by June 30, 2026.
KEY DOCUMENTS:
Fullerton Open Space Element
Fullerton Open Space Element Survey Supplement
Fullerton Environmental Justice Element
Community Engagement Summary
ONLINE SURVEY
642 5 35 5
Total Survey Survey Categories Days Live for Media Channels Participants Environmental Justice. Responses City Website, City Banner, Cit Open Space and October 27- Instagram, Email E-Blast, and Conservation, Access, November 30, 2025 Digital Display Boards Re-wilding, and Climate
Resilience
OUTREACHEVENA
150+ 4 2 100+
In Person Visitors Hours Connecting Activity Boards Flyers Provided OktoBOOfest in In person time Receiving 85 To build awareness on the Fullerton on October connecting with the responses Process 30, 2025 Community
COMMUNUTY ENGAGEMENT
ONLINE SURVEY
• 642 - Total Survey Participants
• 5 - Survey Categories Environmental Justice, Open Space and Conservation, Access, Re-wilding, and Climate Resilience • 35 - Days Live for Responses October 27 - November 30, 2025 • 5 - Media Channels City Website, City Banner, City Instagram, Email E-Blast, and Digital Display Boards
OUTREACH EVENT
• 150+ - In Person Visitors OktoBOOfest in Fullerton on October 30, 2025 • 4 - Hours Connecting In person time connecting with the Community • 2 - Activity Boards Receiving 85 responses
• 100+ - Flyers Provided To build awareness on the Process Major Milestones and Deliverables
Deliverables: Open Space Element Update and
Environmental Justice Element
Draft Notice of
Research and Vision and Policy Action Plan Draft OS Exemption OS and EJ Analysis Development and EJ
We are
Adopter
Kick-off here!
Element
September March
2025
2026
Community Pop-up Public Review Draft
Administrative Draft
and Public Survey OS and EJ OS and EJ
Major Milestones and Deliverables
Deliverables: Open Space Element Update and Environmental Justice Element Timeline: Kick-off September 2025 → Adopted Elements March 2026 Milestones (in order along the timeline):
1. Research and Analysis (above the timeline)
2. Community Pop-up and Public Survey (below the timeline)
3. Vision and Policy Development (above the timeline)
4. Administrative Draft OS and EJ (below the timeline) - * "We are here!" - current project status
5. Action Plan Draft OS and EJ (above the timeline)
6. Public Review Draft OS and EJ (below the timeline)
7. Draft Notice of Exemption OS and EJ (above the timeline) Together, these Elements promote equitable access to healthy environments
1. HOW ARETHESE ELEMENTS RELATED? by ensuring that all communities, especially disadvantaged ones, benefit from protected natural spaces and environmental resources.
OPEN SPACE ELEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES REQUIREMENT (SB 1425) GOALS AND OBJECTIVES REQUIREMENT (SB 1000) • Seeks to protect, maintain • Address equitable access to • Identifies disadvantaged Identifies objectives and policies to:
and enhance the City's natural open space for all residents, communities and outlines • Reduce the health risks in resources recreational areas, integrate climate resilience policies to reduce pollution disadvantaged communities and green spaces strategies, and identify exposure, improve access • Promote civil engagement in the • Supports environmental opportunities for rewilding to resources, and promote public decision-making process
sustainability, public health, equitable participation in • Align with other General Plan planning decisions • Prioritize improvements and and community well-being elements, including Safety and programs that address the needs Environmental Justice
of disadvantaged communities
GROUPS MOST OFTEN IDENTIFIED AS
SOCIALLY VULNERABLE
• LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
TRAILS PARKS AND OPEN SPACES RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
IMMIGRANT AND LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED POPULATIONS
RESIDENTS WITH PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS
GROUPS EXPERIENCING RISK DUE TO AGE OR ABILITY
AREAS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO SERVICES
RECREATION NATURE AND WILDLIFE OF FUL
City of Fullerton Open Space and Environmental Justice Elements CALIFORNIA
1. How Are These Elements Related?
Together, these Elements promote equitable access to healthy environments by ensuring that all communities, especially disadvantaged ones, benefit from protected natural spaces and environmental resources.
Open Space Element
Goals and Objectives
• Seeks to protect, maintain, and enhance the City's natural resources recreational areas, and green spaces • Supports environmental sustainability, public health, and community well-being Requirement (SB 1425)
• Address equitable access to open space for all residents, integrate climate resilience strategies, and identify opportunities for rewilding • Align with other General Plan elements, including Safety and Environmental Justice Image captions: Trails • Parks and Open Spaces • Recreation • Nature and Wildlife Environmental Justice Element
Goals and Objectives
• Identifies disadvantaged communities and outlines policies to reduce pollution exposure, improve access to resources, and promote equitable participation in planning decisions
Requirement (SB 1000)
Identifies objectives and policies to:
• Reduce the health risks in disadvantaged communities
• Promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process • Prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities Groups Most Often Identified as Socially Vulnerable
• Low-income households
• Racially and ethnically diverse communities
• Immigrant and linguistically isolated populations
• Residents with pre-existing health conditions
• Groups experiencing risk due to age or ability
• Areas with limited access to services
City of Fullerton Open Space and Environmental Justice Elements
2. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE HOW IS SOCIAL VULNERABILITY MEASURED? The CalEnviroScreen composite score is a measure developed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to identify communities that face the greatest environmental and health burdens. It combines data from 21 indicators grouped into two main categories:
Where are the Socially
1) Pollution Burden- Includes environmental exposures such as air pollution and contaminated drinking water, as Vulnerable Communities well as environmental effects like hazardous waste sites and groundwater threats 001404 2) Population Characteristics - Covers sensitive populations-such as children, the elderly, and individuals with Located? health conditions-and socioeconomic factors including poverty, low educational attainment, and unemployment 001705
OTHER METRICS TO CONSIDER
001503
001708 001505 011707 Open Space Composite
001707 ACCESS TO TRAILS AND PARKS
001601
Limited access to parks and green areas is
001706
considered a population vulnerability factor
001602 011708 that can exacerbate health and environmental 001704 burdens in disadvantaged communities.
110605
011504
011401
Г 011402 011503 011712
011000
001801
011200 011300 011403
011502
Population Density by Census Tract
001802 POPULATION DENSITY
001901
001902 011102 011602
Population density can be used in the Environmental
O11101 011601 Justice Element to identify census tracts with high 001801* 001903 concentrations of people that also exhibit elevated 086801*
086701 levels of environmental vulnerability.
086802*
Legend
#'s Indicate Census Tract Numbers Level of Vulnerability City of Fullerton >0-10 >50-60
Municipal Boundary
*Land uses in these portions of >10-20 >60-70 CDC Vulnerability Index by Census Tract Census tracts are considered VULNERABILITY INDEX
Overpasses and parking lots.
>20-30 >70-80 The CDC's Social Vulnerability Index is a tool that uses census data to identify communities that may be more
230-40 ›80-90 vulnerable to disasters and public health emergencies based on socioeconomic and demographic factors.
>40-50 190-100
CENSUS TRACTS HIGHLIGHTED Scan the OR Code to
see larger versions
IN ORANGE AND RED NOTE of these maps!
AREAS OF HIGH VULNERABILITY.
Soural Cal ODIA Cyorful eton CAse Daa Portal But Praecion Calloma
2. Environmental Justice
Where are the Socially Vulnerable Communities Located?
How is Social Vulnerability Measured?
The CalEnviroScreen composite score is a measure developed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to identify communities that face the greatest environmental and health burdens. It combines data from 21 indicators grouped into two main categories:
1. Pollution Burden - Includes environmental exposures such as air pollution and contaminated drinking water, as well as environmental effects like hazardous waste sites and groundwater threats.
2. Population Characteristics - Covers sensitive populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals with health conditions — and socioeconomic factors including poverty, low educational attainment, and unemployment.
Other Metrics to Consider
Access to Trails and Parks Limited access to parks and green areas is considered a population vulnerability factor that can exacerbate health and environmental burdens in disadvantaged communities.
Population Density Population density can be used in the Environmental Justice Element to identify census tracts with high concentrations of people that also exhibit elevated levels of environmental vulnerability.
Vulnerability Index The CDC's Social Vulnerability Index is a tool that uses census data to identify communities that may be more vulnerable to disasters and public health emergencies based on socioeconomic and demographic factors.
Census tracts highlighted in orange and red note areas of high vulnerability.
Source: Cal OEHHA, City of Fullerton, CA Open Data Portal, Esri. Projection: California State Plane Coordinate System Zone 6, NAD 83. Data Sourced: 2021.