Communities Speak
Strengthening California Communities
Inland Empire
(San Bernardino and Riverside Counties)Project Title: Living on the Dime
Sponsor: Inland Mexican Heritage
Project Director: Robert Gonzales
People who live along a 200-mile stretch of the I-10 freeway in the Inland Empire made their voices heard as part of “Living on the Dime,” a project examining the impact of the freeway on people’s lives.
“From Bloomington to Blythe, people are living with the results of continuous freeway construction and development since the 1950s at the expense of rural towns and older suburban neighborhoods,” Project Director Robert Gonzales said. “This project educated people about the area’s little-known history, but also connected them to individuals, groups and entire communities working to improve the economic and social health of the area, balance growth with more just environmental practices, and create greater awareness the importance of land stewardship.”
The project held 50 public programs, including 15 community discussions, six exhibits of photographs and stories, and five storytelling events. “The programs inspired people to connect to or strengthen bonds with their communities,” Gonzales said. Findings from Harder+Company confirm the impact of the project. According to audience surveys, 90 percent of respondents said they planned to talk to their friends and family about the project, and more than 50 percent said they planned to become more involved in the region’s issues.
Focus group participants reported that the project helped build relationships among people who typically see themselves as different from one another. And one of the project’s organizational partners said that the project helped people feel more connected to one another and led to greater participation in politics related to local development issues.