A couple of weeks ago, GOOD and the Goldhirsh Foundation announced a series of ten $100,00 grants to people, organizations and non-profits that have an idea and plan to make Los Angeles a better place. The applicants submitted their plans last week in eight different categories: arts & cultural vitality, education, environmental quality,health, housing, income & employment, public safety, and social connectedness.
Even though we're part of one of the grants, objectively we have to say that there are many applications that would improve the livability of the city. Since there are 279 applications and ten grants available, many of the deserving applications aren't going to be funded. So, Streetsblog is devoting our entire coverage for today to saluting the great applications. I'll be reviewing the city-wide livability grants below, and Sahra Sulaiman and Kris Fortin will be covering ones in their geographic areas later today.
In the end, it will be public votes that decide the winner. Just a note, you can only vote once, even though there will be 10 winners.
Without futher adieu, let's get to it:
What’s the BF(B)D? Connecting Neighborhoods through Bicycle-Friendly Business Districts
by Green Octopus Consulting, LACBC, Streetsblog Los Angeles
Indicator: Social Connectedness
Quote:"Bicycle-friendly business districts improve local economies by strengthening connections between residents and their local businesses, increasing small business revenues, and improving neighborhood vitality and connectedness, all the while improving public safety, environmental health, and GLH – Gross Local Happiness."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
Hey, I'm Walking Here! Celebrating Pedestrians in the City of Los Angeles
by Los Angeles Walks
Indicator: Health
Quote: "But the solution is not simply to get more people walking—it also requires that streets & sidewalks be redesigned to protect pedestrians from roadway traffic, slow down cars & trucks, & keep walkers feeling safe. With these ideas in mind, LA Walks proposes to launch "Hey, I'm Walking Here!" (or in Español, “¡Ay, Estoy Caminando!”)—a campaign which will not only increase pedestrian safety, but also highlight & celebrate walking as a conscious act that’s happening all over the city."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
Building Blocks LA: changing the shape of Los Angeles through imaginative urban planning
by Occidental College UEPI
Indicator: Social Connectedness
Quote: "Participants assemble a medley of recycled, vibrant materials into three-dimensional models of their ideal city, neighborhood street, public space, or building. By building with non-descript, found objects, participants are forced to be creative. Green yarn becomes parks, blue poker chips a river or ocean, and hair rollers are stood up for apartments or laid on their side for transit lines."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
Bike Safety Through Visibility
by: Bike L.A. 2050
Indicator: Public Safety
Quote: "Bike L.A. 2050 would like to make biking a safer, healthier option for commuting in L.A. through the use of highly visible public monitoring of bike traffic. To launch the project, bike counters with digital displays will be installed in high traffic locations in Los Angeles to improve awareness of the number of bicyclists using the streets and bike lanes. These digital counters have been installed with much success in cities like Seattle, Portland and in several European cities in Sweden, Denmark and Germany."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
by: Public Counsel
Indicator: Housing
Quote: "Building on our prior successes in South LA, the Cornfield Arroyo Seco specific plan area north of downtown, the 15 mile radius surrounding the City of Industry, and the southeast cities, Public Counsel will: (1) Advocate for the development and preservation of affordable housing and anti-displacement policies near transit; (2) Advance land use plans that represent the needs of vulnerable residents; and (3) Provide in-depth, one-on-one legal and policy assistance to nonprofit affordable housing developers, and to community-based organizations representing low-income residents, to help them participate in community planning processes."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
Park in a Box
by: ERW DESIGN + SALT Landscape Architects
Indicator: Environment
Quote: "Park-in-a-Box (PIB) is a moveable pop-up park. Two shipping containers outfitted to carry park amenities will travel to neighborhood sites for specific community events. Using under-utilized open spaces in Los Angeles, community outreach organizations will schedule an event, order PIB, unpack and configure the containers, and help to activate a neighborhood public space. We anticipate up to four scheduled events during this initial pilot program phase scheduled by our partner community organizations."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
Get Connected L.A.
by: CicLAvia
Indicator: Social Connectedness
Quote: "The benefits of CicLAvia are both immediate and long-term. While the program’s success is dependent on the number of individuals that take part in each event, it is also measured by the growing list of strategic partnerships that help to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability and geographic reach. Ultimately, CicLAvia has the potential to be a series of rotating routes throughout the whole of Los Angeles County – a program that is flawlessly integrated into the complex web of city and county governments."
Learn more and vote, by clicking here.
