URBAN DESIGN
Leimert Park Village Plaza
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VPDS provided design and CAD drafting services as a sub-consultant to Kendall Planning + Design and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation while planning for a plaza located in front of the Vision Theater on 43rd Place between Degnan Blvd. and Leimert Blvd. This highly regarded “Tactical Urbanism” project grew out of extensive public outreach and close collaboration with local residents, including performers, artists, community leaders and business owners. The roughly 10,000 SF plaza was created by closing 43rd Place between Leimert Park Boulevard and Degnan Boulevard, in the heart of Leimert Park. Elements of the project required input and assistance from the community. The design consisted of surrounding the plaza with an “urban farm lab” consisting of dwarf fruit trees and plants. The plants set in wooden boxes built by some of the community’s master carpenters would be linked to an income-generating sprout farm program for youth at a nearby church. The trees are a part of a rotating “exhibit.” The plaza features wooden benches, bistro-style chairs and tables, and a portable stage. Fitness classes, youth theater performances, solstice celebrations, open-air movie screenings, dinner-and-discourse events, a dance program modeled after the Music Center’s Dance Downtown, reading circles, and a concert series are activities that have been suggested for implementation.
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Watts Community Redevelopment
Roxana Vera prepared a conceptual/vision plan for several properties in the Watts area that helped educate community residents and gain their participation in discussions related to potential future development opportunities. Specifically, she provided research and analysis, options/recommendations via the vision plan that could help transform a blighted area into a viable community resource. The design emphasized the importance of creating a walkable, bicycle friendly community.
