Our study area in East Los Angeles, which encompasses parts of Ramona Gardens, Montecito Heights, El Sereno, and the USC Health Sciences Campus.
East Los Angeles Climate Change Adaptation Plan
OVERVIEW
Winter 2018, team project
Part of Carl Steinitz’s International Geodesign Collaboration.
OBJECTIVES
Develop comprehensive, research-based climate change adaptation scenarios for a 5km2 study area in Northeast LA in order to address specific climate change related challenges by 2050.
PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
•Developed stakeholder negotiation framework
• Created charrette materials and mediated the negotiation process
• Helped determine plan phasing and scenarios
• Developed comprehensive plan and schedule for workflow, process, final poster deliverables, peer review, and revision
EARLY ADOPTER PROFILE
Developers and urban planners who have the resources and drive to initiate large-scale changes that address the challenges posed by climate change.
CHANGES MADE BY 2050
•Combined agricultural and windmill area
•Superblocks upgrade housing density and provide green space
•Complete streets create multi-modal, pedestrian friendly transportation networks
•Concentrated, energy efficient mixed-use corridors built with cross-laminated timber
•Electric scooter stations provide first-last mile transit options
•Sustainability pilot area allows for scientific collaboration to reduce freeway pollution
•Innovation district creates green jobs and encourages technological advancement
•Stormwater park provides public space and filters stormwater pollutants
LATE ADOPTER PROFILE
Planners, developers, and community members who are hesitant to implement progressive sustainability agendas due to funding shortages, prioritization of short-term economic growth, and community opposition to gentrification.
CHANGES MADE BY 2035
•Bike lane creates better bike connectivity amongst major transit arterials
•Development of mixed use zones increases housing density and accessibility
•Windmill zone repurposes natural hazard area to generate renewable energy
•Planned biotech park provides green jobs and encourages innovation
CHANGES MADE BY 2050
•Complete streets create multi-modal, pedestrian-friendly transportation networks and reduce air pollution from cars and larger vehicles
•Windmill zone repurposes natural hazard area to generate renewable energy
TYPOLOGIES INCLUDED IN PLANS
COMPLETE STREETS
The redesignation of car lanes for bus and small personal vehicle lanes to increase transportation mix.
CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER
A sustainable, fire-resistant building material made out of sawed, perpendicularly layered, glued wood. The material significantly reduces construction time, pollution, and resource use.
ELECTRIC SCOOTER CHARGING STATIONS
Provides docking and charging locations for new personal electric scooters.
SUPERBLOCKS
A planning scheme that increases community space and restricts car access by transforming public streets into parks, green space, and community gardens.
STORMWATER PARK
A multipurpose space that provides critical ecosystem services through permeable functional green space.
INNOVATION ZONES
Zones of opportunity designed to connect disadvantaged communities to employment centers and research institutions, diversify existing industrial land uses, and improve the interface between industrial and residential uses.
MIXED USE CORRIDOR
Pedestrian-friendly development that blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and/or industrial uses.
SUSTANIABILITY PILOT AREAS
Areas designated for the testing of new sustainability interventions through public-private partnerships with local research universities, such as USC, and technology companies in the area’s innovation zones.
NON-ADOPTER PROFILE
People do not consider long-term solutions to the environmental and social issues posed by climate change. They continue with current resource use and development patterns.
CHANGES MADE BY 2050
•Residential land will gentrify by 30% 2050
•Commercial will gentrify by 50% by 2050
CONSEQUENCES OF NON-ADOPTION
•If none of these measures are adopted, the community will continue to gentrify at a similar rate to the communities around it
•Gentrification will displace the current community
•The planned University of Southern California biotech park will cause land values to increase and new development to occur
•New residential and commercial development will maintain high resource use and lack of sustainability
•Energy will continue to come from unsustainable sources
HONORS AND AWARDS
Presentation - Los Angeles Geospatial Summit
Presentation - International Geodesign Collaborative Meeting
Presentation - ESRI User Conference
PARTICIPATING TEAM CREDITS
Completed by Grace Corsi, Benjamin Friedman, Julia Fruithandler, Rebekkah Castellanos, Felix Goldwasser, and Emily Ly. With contributions from Dr. John Wilson, Dr. Jennifer Swift, and Beau MacDonald