Blog
Category :: Sustainability
While I’m hoping the country goes through a renaissance with Barack Obama as our next President, I’ve been thrilled to consult with a local organization working to transform and restore a one of our local watersheds: Ballona Creek Renaissance (BCR).
Working with BCR is especially meaningful to me because I’ve bicycled along Ballona Creek countless times. I can’t help imagine what a revitalized creek would look like – trees, native plans, birds, fish, people walking, bicycling, running along it, families playing alongside of it, and maybe even kayakers paddling down it and people swimming in it. That’s my vision. BCR has its own compelling vision and a strong history of working to create murals and pocket parks along the creek. They have also done a tremendous amount of work to educate both the local community and broader watershed about the creek.
I’m working with BCR to help them grow and develop their volunteer Board of Directors. I’m also working with them to help raise funds so that they have the resources necessary to do their important work. For both of these items, I’m working closely with their Board, facilitating brainstorming sessions to decide what their priorities are and helping them develop a strategy for them to move forward. It’s a process I’ve enjoyed leading. As I continue to ride up and down Ballona Creek, I look forward to witnessing the ongoing transformation of the creek into a healthy, vibrant eco-system that serves the larger community.
I’m pleased to announce that Cultivating Sustainable Communities, one of my clients that I helped recruit a new Executive Director for, as well as helping them with a strategic planning process, has just launched Gardenswap, an innovative project that could fundamentally reshape how food is produced in Los Angeles.
The following is from CSC’s Executive Director, Gabriella Worrel,
“Cultivating Sustainable Communities (CSC) is launching its newest project. GardenSwap is an opportunity to pair up urban gardeners with their neighbors who have yard space in order to grow and share in the profits of urban food gardens.
Urban gardens are not only fun; they support low-carbon food production, create economic development, inspire healthful eating, build community, create opportunities for education, address watershed health concerns, create productive green open space, and beautify communities.
CSC is currently taking requests for participation in this program. If you'd like to participate either as a gardener or a land owner who is willing to share yard space (and some garden profits!) with a neighbor (we'll help you find a neighbor), please contact me at (rather than listing Gabriela’s email online, please email me from the contact page and I will forward it to Gabriella).”
More info at www.cscommunities.org.
Someone once told me, “For a long time, I didn’t bike. The barriers seemed huge. Once I finally started riding, I realized the barriers were a lot smaller than I thought and the benefits were greater than I could ever have imagined.”
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it will take for people to overcome the barriers preventing them from bicycling as a transportation alternative in Los Angeles. While bicycle ridership has increased recently due to rising gas prices, the reality remains that most people don’t bicycle on a regular basis in Los Angeles.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it will take for people to overcome the barriers preventing them from bicycling as a transportation alternative in Los Angeles. While bicycle ridership has increased recently due to rising gas prices, the reality remains that most people don’t bicycle on a regular basis in Los Angeles.
I regularly speak with people who like the concept of bicycling, but choose not to ride because they are concerned about their safety, uncertain about where to ride or just assume that bicycling is for other people, not them. I want to change this. My hunch is that some of these people would start bicycling given the proper support, education and encouragement. This is where BikeSage comes in, a new service I'm providing.
BikeSage provides one-on-one support for people who want to use their bicycle to get around town. Whether it’s helping people plan a route, put their bike on a bus or ride safely in traffic, BikeSage’s goal is to transform people’s fear and uncertainty around bicycling into confidence, joy and excitement. Sage has two meanings: a wise person and a native plant to Los Angeles. BikeSages share their bicycling wisdom with others. Like sage plants, BikeSages also know how to thrive in the local environment.
Are you or do you know someone who you think might be interested in spending time with a BikeSage? If so, please contact me and we can arrange a time to ride.
More info at www.bikesage.com.
More info at www.bikesage.com.
Rising gas prices have motivated many Americans to start bicycling and taking transit in record numbers. While I've experienced this anecdotally while riding around town, I recently learned first hand about the dramatic shifts going on around the country after researching recent media coverage relating to this issue for one of my clients, Bikestation.
Consider some of the following headlines: "Gas Prices Send Surge of Riders to Mass Transit", New York Times; "Bicycling in Region Rolls Up Big Gains", Sacramento Bee; "Interest in Bicycling Soars with Gas Prices", Boston Channel; and even "Save Money, Bike to Work", Christian Broadcasting Network. For every major media publication that covered this issue, hundreds of smaller media outlets around the country report the same phenomenon. Check out this Sunday's LA Times Opinion section as well.
As more people consider transportation alternatives, the more that can be done to accomodate these trips by making them safe and enjoyable, the better.
Locally, we have several organizations that are doing good work: Bikestation provides secure bike parking, the LA County Bicycle Coalition advocates for better policies, the Bike Kitchen provides a space for repair, CICLE gives people the education necessary to ride our streets with confidence. As a consultant, I've had the opportunity to work with the leadership of all of these organizations and am thrilled with the work they do.
Over the last several years, numerous bicycle related groups and rides have sprung up in Los Angeles, creating the beginnings of a more bicycle-oriented culture. While much has been gained, there is much work to be done to truly make Los Angeles a bicycle-friendly county. I'm optimistic that this will occur.
This week has been another busy week at the office. Right now, my office is outdoors on the lawn of Barnsdall Art Park with a fantastic view of the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. Earlier in the week, I worked on top of a peak in Griffith Park and spotted two coyotes on my way into work.
As a consultant, my work tools are a phone, laptop and internet connection. When I’m not meeting with clients, I often decide to take my office mobile (with the help of a laptop shade, camping chair and wireless connection).
Oftentimes, I find myself working in the local mountains or by the beach. Sometimes, I decide to work in underutilized public spaces like traffic medians, or along the banks of the LA River or Ballona Creek. The other day, I was working by the tarpits at LACMA, and ran into an old friend who is a professional photographer, Elon Schoenholz, who snapped the picture of me below.
Through my work and where I choose to work, I’ve deepened my connection to Los Angeles. Technology, strangely enough, has enabled me to spend more time outdoors enjoying nature and the city.
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(c) Elon Schoenholz Photography
Rising foreclosure rates – what to do? Affordable housing – how to preserve it? Mixed-income housing – how to make it work? Green building? All of these questions and more will be answered at an upcoming conference I’m helping organize: HUD’s Western Region Housing Summit on August 25th and 26th in Los Angeles.
I have had the pleasure of speaking with some of the region’s leaders working on cutting edge strategies to build, preserve and protect affordable housing. These leaders will come together for two days to share best practices with each other. I’m looking forward to it!
I recently researched carbon offsets for a client, which are an innovative solution to reducing global warming through a trading system. As an individual, you can invest in these credits to mitigate your carbon footprint. Large companies, governments and other institutions also buy and sell these with the theory that it will ultimately help reduce emissions.
Funds generated from carbon offsets typically invest in projects like wind power, solar power, reforestation, methane collection and energy efficiency. While all of these are important strategies to reduce our carbon footprint, I can’t help but wonder why the transportation sector isn’t more prominent on this list, especially given the fact that such a large percentage of carbon emissions originate from cars and trucks.
If I had several billion dollars worth of carbon offsets credits to invest, I’d support institutions like Bikestation (one of my clients), which has a proven track record of reducing emissions by facilitating the connection between bicycling and public transit. I’d invest in clean burning diesel trucks going to and from the Port of Los Angeles. I’d support car and bike sharing programs that give people the flexibility of having the option to drive without having to own a car, or the option of borrowing a bike in the city. With the money left over, I’d invest in light rail, street cars, clean busses and bicycle boulevards. By investing in these and other transportation alternatives, we could dramatically reduce carbon emissions while simultaneously improving air quality. Sounds good to me!
Having grown up in Southern California, I do my best to spend ample time at the beach when summer rolls around. This summer, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time getting to know the public beaches of Malibu as an LA Urban Ranger leading multiple “Public Beach Safaris”.
“Public Beach Safari” you ask? Here’s more info on the Safari from the LA Urban Rangers website: “Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu? The twenty miles that are lined with private development? Our "Malibu Public Beaches" safaris show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach legally and safely. Each safari visits two different beaches. Skills-enhancing activities include a public-private boundary hike, sign watching, a no-kill hunt for accessways, and a public easement potluck.”
I invite you to attend. Enjoy your summer.
Sometimes it helps to leave Los Angeles and gain inspiration from other cities. I’m doing that right now as I sit at a sidewalk café here in Downtown Vancouver in Canada. Streams of people and bicyclists cruise by me – everyone seems to be out on this warm, sunny day.
In the 1970’s, Vancouver was one of the few decent-sized North American cities that decided not to build freeways. Instead, they invested in public transit, bikeways, downtown redevelopment and park creation. This intentional investment has created a very livable city, enjoyed by a diverse population.
I’m especially impressed by the diversity of people riding bicycles around town. This city boasts an interconnected network of bicycle boulevards – residential streets transformed to facilitate comfortable and speedy riding across town. These streets include round-abouts instead of stop signs so cyclists need not stop, car traffic limiting features such as an intersection that is designed to let bikes through, but isn’t big enough for a car to drive through, signal prioritization when you get to a big intersection and need to cross and well-designed signage. I can’t help imagine what a similar network in Los Angeles would look like on streets like 4th St., Heliotrope and countless others.
Imagine streetcars returning to Los Angeles. Picture a modern, quiet streetcar going down Broadway in Downtown weaving together residences, business and cultural institutions while also facilitating a vibrant street life.
On May 22nd, over 250 people not only imagined what a streetcar in Downtown Los Angeles would look like, they also gained inspiration from places like Portland and Seattle that recently launched their own modern streetcar lines. They all assembled for the “Streetcars and Cities in the 21st Century Workshop” held at the historic Orpheum Theater.
Earlier last century, Angelenos abandoned the streetcar. Now it seems, a critical mass is coming together to bring it back to life, and in the process, create more livable communities with welcoming pedestrian environments, mixed-income housing and locally owned businesses.
In attendance were the usual planners and policy makers, as well as local elected officials (such as Councilmembers José Huizar, who’s the streetcars biggest advocate, Jan Perry and Tom Labonge). A large contingency of Downtown LA stakeholders attended, including local business owners, residents, downtown BID’s, Neighborhood Council and those just curious about the concept.
I sensed an excitement in the air, especially as people lingered and networked outside the official panel discussion during lunch and in intermissions. The workshops were informative and covered multiple aspects of streetcars: what other cities have done, the feasibility of bringing the streetcar back to LA, design issues and local case studies.
Several morning panelists referred to streetcars as “development oriented transit” as opposed to the more common term of “transit oriented development”. Streetcars are as much about place making and they are about people moving.
As someone who helped spread the word about this conference, I’m pleased with both the attendance and excitement about the streetcar. While my sense is that the major stakeholders downtown agree on the concept, the challenge moving forward will be going from a good idea to implementation. One of the early morning panelists urged attendees not to get bogged down in planning and studies, but rather just build a simple, short first segment, which would build future momentum. Will the Downtown leadership come to consensus and make this reality? We’ll just have to wait and see.
For more info, check out www.reconnectingamerica.org.
For more info, check out www.reconnectingamerica.org.
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