Parks | Streetsblog Los Angeles

Monday, September 26, 2011 3 Comments

End Goal in Pacoima: A Wash That’s Beautiful

The Pacoima Wash Vision Plan doesn't choose between modes, but seeks to accommodate all of them. That's one reason that the rift between cyclists and horse riders that was so apparent during the Bike Plan process is not even on the map. All renderings via Mia Lehrer and Associates.

One of the lessons that the world’s great cities learned is how to use natural and man created landmarks to strengthen and create great places. This is one area where Los Angeles still lags, and nowhere is this clearer than in the case of the Pacoima Wash.

The Wash is a tributary of the Los Angeles River (actually a tributary of a tributary, but who’s counting) that runs through the San Fernando Valley from the Pacoima Dam southwest through Sylmar, the city of San Fernando and eventually Pacoima. Instead of being a vibrant open space designed to connect disparate communities and bring people together outdoors, the Wash is a physical barrier as real as a freeway or freight rail line. The land surrounding the Wash is kept behind fences, the trail running parallel is closed to the public and behind bars, instead of people, the Wash’s greenspace is a resting ground for weeds.

But a non-profit environmental justice organization known as Pacoima Beautiful wants to change all that. And with the help of the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s Policies for Livable and Active Communities and Environments (PLACE) Grant they will soon have an official plan to help do so. The first step in the process of turning the Wash from eye sore to community anchor is to create a vision for the area, a vision that is informed by representative of the community, and that’s what Pacoima Beautiful and its allies are trying to do.

“Pacoima Wash is a very important natural, open space to the community so we’re protecting it,” supplies Anita Cerna with the City of Los Angeles Department of Planning. “Now we’re also studying the Wash to see if there’s a way we can use it beyond being a place to collect water”

And help for the community can’t come soon enough. Pacoima is a desert when it comes to open space, even with the large Ritchie Valens Park located just off the 118 Highway. Pacoima has 54.3 acres of park space. According to the LA City General Plan, the ideal ratio of park space is 4 acres per 1,000 residents. Because Pacoima has over 100,000 people its ideal ratio,is close to 400 acres of park space. Read more…

Friday, July 11, 2008 1 Comment

Streetfilms: Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square

by Clarence Eckerson Jr.

According to the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), Portland, Oregon's Pioneer Courthouse Square is one of the Top 10 greatest public spaces in the U.S. & Canada. I couldn't agree more. Affectionately referred to as the city's "living room" the charming and versatile block was once slated to be a parking garage in the 1960s. Thankfully the residents didn't let that happen.

Recently while grabbing lunch in Portland, I wandered into the "Festival of Flowers" - a beautiful urban meadow installation that was so pleasant and comforting, I just had to shoot some video. Ethan Kent from PPS has often said to me that the key to the success of Pioneer Courthouse Square (and many public spaces) is its amazingly diverse programming. He's right, I've been to Portland a dozen times and there always seems to be something wonderful going on there.

Thursday, July 3, 2008 6 Comments

Christmas in July: Griffith’s Park Controversy Starts Early

by Damien Newton

The Entrance to the Festival of Lights, 2007

The Griffith Park's annual Festival of Lights is supposed to be one of the highlights of the holiday season for thousands of Angelenos. The park is festively lit up by the Department of Public Works in ~~an effort to make the park visible from the moon~~ an outpouring of Holiday Spirit.

What's also becoming a bit of a tradition is the battle over the city's illegal exclusion of cyclists from the event. With the exception of a "cyclists night" that occurs in mid-November before Thanksgiving, bike riders are banned from the event in violation of state law that clearly states that municipalities cannot ban bikes from roads except for freeways. Naturally, bike activists find this ban an affront to their rights and engage in a yearly battle with the city. Last year, even the Times joined bike blogs such as Illuminate LA in decrying the festival's ban.

This year cyclists are off to an early start. On June 9th, a group of cyclists, the Sierra Club, local Neighborhood Councils, homeowner associations and equestrians attended a public meeting on the festival to ask the DWP to lift the ban on bikes. Some went so far as to suggest a festival wide ban on cars. Thus, instead of 100,000 cars idling through stop and go traffic; pedestrians, cyclists and even equestrians could enjoy the nation's largest urban park and its unique light festival. DWP hasn't announced either a lifting of the bike ban or imposing a car ban.

The cyclists efforts don't end with bureaucratic committee meetings, Illuminate LA has also written to Councilman Tom LaBonge, asking him to help lift the ban because it is against state law. The full text of their letter is available after the jump.

Senator Romero Won’t Support Anything Without Guarantees for SGV

by Damien Newton

Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero is taking a stand. Romero tells the Times that if she doesn't get she wants for San Gabriel Valley, at no extra cost to her constituents, she'll vote to make sure all of LA County is denied the opportunity to to vote to increase everyone's transit options. The Senator may have the muscle to back up her threat as AB 2321, the legislation authorizing the sales tax to be on the fall ballot after Metro's approval, still needs a full vote of the State Senate.

Romero's position doesn't make sense from a transportation stand point. She's basically opposed to the sales tax measure because Metro won't guarantee a Gold Line extension without the funding from the sales tax. While her argument that the $328 million set aside from sales tax proceeds won't extend the Gold Line as far as it needs to go has some merit; her argument that Metro should guarantee more funds for an extension without the sales tax rests on the argument that San Gabriel Valley residents would be more likely to support a sales tax increase if they have nothing to gain from it doesn't make a lot of sense. After all, would you vote for a tax increase that has no benefits for you?

Have a headache yet? If not, Romero also tells the Times that she opposes congestion pricing and Metro should approve it's plan for transit for the valley without knowing whether it will have the $213 million in federal funds. Her argument? SGV residents shouldn't be "forced" to pay tolls because there is a lack of reliable transit options. Last I checked, which was right before I wrote this post, most of that $213 would be going to provide increased transit options for the effected corridors, including the San Gabriel Valley.

Theoretical Design for LA’s Central Park to Be Unveiled This Friday

by Damien Newton

The 101, Today

By now most of you have read the opinion piece from last Friday’s Times that called for a "Central Park" for Los Angeles. The piece by
Vaughan Davies, director of urban planning for EDAW’s LA office, is just the first step in a campaign to show Angelenos what opportunities exist in the "Big Trench" area bordering, Chinatown, Angelino Heights, El Pueblo, Boyle Heights, Civic Center and Little
Tokyo.

The next step will be this Friday sat 5 P.M. in the CALTRANS Building’s plaza, when planning students from around the world present the challenges and solutions in capping the 101 Freeway and turning it into a large, urban park similar in size and character to New York’s Central Park. The students are part of EDAW’s, summer intern program and have worked with staff from CALTRANS, the Los Angeles Planning Department, the Metro, the Community Redevelopment Agency, the
Southern California Assn. of Governments, City Council members and even the Mayor’s Office to develop this plan.

To read more about EDAW’s summer charrette program, click here.

Image: EDAW