EQUITY
The northeast corner of Mission Bay is land that was historically occupied and used by Indigenous communities, Kumeyaay (‘Iipay and Tipai), and represents just one example of our unjust and racially-motivated public lands history in San Diego.
The ReWild Coalition is advocating for improved access to the ReWild Mission Bay area for these Indigenous communities and San Diegans of color who have historically faced societal barriers and been denied access to our parks and open spaces. The inequality in public land use has a very long history in San Diego and the impacts are seen and felt today.
The ReWild Mission Bay Project offers an opportunity to provide some correction to this injustice by restoring connection to the Bay’s water and wildlife for Indigenous communities and increasing access for all San Diegans including people of color.
We are committed to a restoration project that improves the equity and inclusivity of our park. The new land uses in the northeast corner of Mission Bay need to be accessible to all by providing improved public transportation service and by offering programming that addresses disparities in coastal access and reflects the diverse history and current users of the park.
Furthermore, we need a recognition of the Indigenous history of the area and space for the Kumeyaay community to reconnect to and steward the Bay. These goals are inextricably linked to the other benefits of the ReWild Wildest Restoration project, including creating habitat for endangered native species, improving water quality, bringing resilience to sea level rise, and combating the climate crisis by sequestering carbon; all issues that are important to San Diegans from all communities.
We recognize that this statement is not the only goal; an accessible, inspirational, and restored northeast corner of our public Mission Bay Park is also the goal.