Two LANI Projects Win Awards from the American Planning Association Los Angeles Section (APA LA)
In 2022, LANI is proud to have two projects that have been recognized by the Los Angeles Section of the American Planning Association.
Our Pacific/Randolph and Florence/Salt Lake Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) Station Area Plans were honored with the Best Practices Award, shared by our project partners Smart Growth America, Studio One Eleven, and Labib Funk + Associates and project funder Eco-Rapid Transit. The project was unique in that it required coordination between and engagement with multiple municipalities along the planned transit corridor.
The West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor (WSAB) light rail will connect historically underinvested communities in southeast Los Angeles to downtown LA. The Pacific/Randolph and Florence/Salt Lake Station Area Plans for two proposed transit stops along the line create a vision, goals, and recommendations to guide future mixed-use and housing development in the neighborhoods within the station areas. Recommendations in the Plans include land use and zoning guidance for the cities to accommodate compact and walkable development, and focus on programs and policies to anchor neighborhood growth and change in principles of equitable development that will uplift the existing residents and legacy businesses and protect them from displacement.
The Plans are rooted in TOC principles and are unique in that they show a path forward, empowering communities that need transit investment without the potential challenges of associated displacement due to gentrification and loss of community or local identity. They place the focus of change on equity first, recommending policies and programs to provide new housing that serves the existing population, as well as improving quality of life and economic opportunity while making room for better transportation options to create healthy and sustainable communities.
The second awarded project is the Downtown Mar Vista Beautification Project, recognized with a Hard Won Victories Award and shared with our partners Studio One Eleven, Axiom Group, and Green Communications Initiative and funder the Office of Los Angeles City Council District 11.
In the Los Angeles beach-adjacent neighborhood of Mar Vista, LANI partnered to prioritize & implement public art and placemaking elements along a pedestrian corridor. Working closely with local residents, business owners, community leaders, and the city council office, the project resulted in community-designed improvements along a major thoroughfare, including five new murals by local artists, custom-designed street medallions, sidewalk furniture, and street planters. An important aspect of this project was balancing the project’s benefits with the challenges posed by a homeless population on local streets and the concerns of residents and business owners that the art and other elements be properly maintained. Another complication arose when the pandemic prohibited in-person community engagement. Virtual community meetings with rich visual presentations were successfully held, an online survey with graphics was widely circulated, and a social media presence was built for the project. Ultimately, stakeholders selected themes for the murals and indicated a preference for representational art. Project plans included strategies for maintenance, such as higher wall placement and anti-graffiti coating for the murals and standing and cafe-style sidewalk furniture that would support gathering in the public space without encouraging loitering or sleeping. Because LANI facilitated substantive virtual collaboration, the concerns of neighborhood stakeholders were addressed, the pedestrian environment along a busy corridor has been transformed with community-specific art and placemaking elements, and the overall response to the project by local residents and business owners has been overwhelmingly positive.