Los Angeles’s
UNTAPPED RESOURCES
Assessing the Potential to Implement Green Alleys Citywide WHY GREEN ALLEYS FOR LOS ANGELES?
WHAT IS A GREEN ALLEY? Alleys have been utilized for many purposes throughout history, including housing, waste, and business. Yet, alleys are associated with unsightly and unsafe activities. Today, cities are revisiting alleys as opportunities for providing multiple benefits within increasing urbanization. Green alleys expand upon single-purpose infrastructure of alleys and convert underutilized alleyways into community assets and resources for environmental, economic and social benefits.
900
38
Park space is
Over
%
linear miles of alleys
& approx. 7,500 center line miles of streets
below national recommendation
56 Approx.
Billion gallons
of average annual urban runoff enters our watersheds
CASE STUDY MODELS Chicago
Chicago Green Alley Program
Seattle Alley Network Project
Hollywood
Los Angeles
Seattle
Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project
East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project
Research Questions
(1) What are the best practices for standardizing green alleys at the city level? (2) What is the institutional capacity for green alley implementation at the city level?
RESEARCH DESIGN
BENEFITS OF GREEN ALLEYS Stormwater management; provision of green space; supports active transport
>> Review of academic literature + planning documents surrounding green alleys that discuss best practices, case studies, and research findings >> Interviews with personnel from City of Los Angeles agencies
$
>> Case studies of four green alley models with various objectives
INITIAL FINDINGS >> Standardization of green
Beautification that promotes local economic development
alleys is context sensitive
and can range from a citydeveloped and implemented program to a public-private partnership
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Creates functional public, open and social space
W
>> Create a broad vision for green alleys in the City of Los Angeles >> Foster a city-wide recognition of the benefits of green alleys through: >> Piloting projects >> Streamlining the development and implementation process >> Piloting a program >> Developing a green alley toolkit >> Weaving into existing and future planning documents >> Establishing an official program >> Change zoning to allow secondary building frontage onto alleys and incentive through policy
>> Alleys in Los Angeles have overlapping ownership
among city agencies and regulations, which creates challenges, barriers and opportunities
design of permeable pavers
Bureau of Engineering
landscaping/greenery Non-city entity
maintenance + liability of permeable pavers Non-city entity
asphalt Bureau of Street Services
design of stormwater BMPs Bureau of Engineering
>> Name alleys to give identity and promote placemaking, investment and development
land
Adjacent Landowner
water recharge + reuse maintenance of stormwater BMPs Bureau of Sanitation
water quality
bulky item, garbage + recycling pick-up
Bureau of Street Services
Department of Water and Power
Bureau of Sanitation
Rachel Lindt, UCLA MURP ‘15 | Advisor: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris | Client: The Trust for Public Land | Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative Client_Project_Poster_Version_5.indd 1
4/2/2015 9:02:14 AM