Assessing the Potential to Implement Green Alleys Citywide

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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


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