The George Butler Lecture Social Justice and Leisure The Usefulness and Uselessness of Research

Robert Garcia is Founding Director and Counsel at the City Project, a nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization based in Los Angeles, California. Please send correspondence to Robert Garcia, The City Project, 1055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1660, Los Angeles, CA 90017, rgarcia@cityprojectca.org The topic of this Butler Lecture is how to translate research through advocacy to seek equal access to parks and recreation and better health for all. The challenge in Los Angeles is this: Children of color living in poverty with limited access to a car have the worst access to parks and physical activity, to schools with five acres or more of playing fields, and to physical education in public schools. These children suffer disproportionately from obesity and diabetes and are the most at risk for gangs, crime, drugs, and violence (Garcia & Strongin, 2011; Garcia & Fenwick, 2009). Research has documented similar patterns in other regions in the state and nation (Maroko, Maantay, Sohler, Grady, & Arno, 2009; Snyder & Sickmund, 2006; Alleyne & LaPoint, 2004). Six strategies are relevant to address this challenge: