DONATE

Day: December 14, 2023

Categories
Uncategorized

Time for Action: Mayor Bass, Lead LA Towards a Comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan

This fall, Investing in Place took a significant step towards improving the infrastructure of Los Angeles by sending a letter to Mayor Karen Bass and key City Council committee chairs. This letter, endorsed by over 80 organizations and individuals, calls for the establishment of a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the city.

 

This initiative marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing efforts to ensure that the City’s investment in the public right-of-way aligns with the community’s needs and addresses the substantial challenges of maintaining a city’s infrastructure, particularly one of the scale and complexity of Los Angeles.

 

Since 2017, Investing in Place has collaborated with Los Angeles City staff, experts in the field, and community partners to develop strategies that ensure public funds are spent wisely to enhance LA’s sidewalks and streets. Unfortunately, Los Angeles remains one of the few major U.S. cities without a comprehensive CIP, a gap that we believe needs urgent attention.

 

Our letter outlines nine key principles that we believe must guide the development of a CIP for Los Angeles. These principles, detailed in the letter’s attachment, emphasize the importance of a clear vision, fostering collaboration, and increasing transparency. By adhering to these principles, the CIP can serve the entire city, ensuring that investments are made thoughtfully, strategically, and equitably for a lasting impact.

 

Community engagement has been at the heart of our efforts. Through numerous conversations with community members and leaders across Los Angeles, a clear consensus emerged: the city desperately needs a CIP, and the process of developing it must be intentional and inclusive. The overwhelming support for this initiative, as evidenced by the signatures of over 80 supporters listed in the letter’s second attachment, underscores the urgent need for action.

 

We are calling on Mayor Bass to set the citywide vision for how we actualize this goal. Imagine policymakers, city departments, bureaus, community organizations, business leaders, and all community members locking arms in a united front to improve the condition of Los Angeles’ sidewalks and streets. The Mayor’s leadership will be instrumental in guiding this collective endeavor.

 

As we continue to advocate for this critical initiative, we invite all stakeholders to join us in supporting the call for a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan for Los Angeles. Together, we can ensure that our city’s infrastructure meets the needs of all its residents, now and in the future.

 

Stay tuned for updates on our progress and how you can get involved in this transformative effort. Let’s work together to build a better Los Angeles!

© Investing in Place. All Rights Reserved.

Site Credits

Stay up to date on our work!

Sign up for our newsletter

hello@investinginplace.org

Instagram Youtube Linkedin

New Title

New Name

New Bio

Estolano Advisors

Richard France

Richard France assists clients with strategic planning, visioning, and community and economic development. He is a strategic planner at Estolano Advisors, where he has been involved in a variety of active transportation, transit-oriented development, climate change resiliency, and equitable economic development projects. His work in active transportation includes coordinating a study to improve bike and pedestrian access to transit oriented districts for the County of Los Angeles, and working with the Southern California Association of Governments to host tactical urbanism events throughout the region. Richard also serves as a technical assistance provider for a number of California Climate Investment programs, including the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities, Transformative Climate Communities, and Low Carbon Transit Operations programs. He has also taught at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Richard received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Accelerator for America, Milken Institute

Matt Horton

Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. He collaborates with government officials, impact investors, and community leaders to shape infrastructure, job creation, and equitable community development efforts. With over fifteen years of experience, Matt has directed research-driven programs and initiatives focusing on housing production, infrastructure finance, access to capital, job creation, and economic development strategies. Previously, he served as the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, where he produced research and events to support innovative economic policy solutions. Matt also has experience at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), where he coordinated regional policy development and planning efforts. He holds an MA in political science from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA in history from Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, Matt serves as a Senior Advisor for the Milken Institute and is involved in various advisory boards, including Lift to Rise and WorkingNation.

UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

Madeline Brozen

Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. She oversees and supports students, staff, and faculty who work on planning and policy issues about how people live, move, and work in the Southern California region. When not supporting the work of the Lewis Center community, Madeline is doing research on the transportation patterns and travel needs of vulnerable populations in LA. Her recent work includes studies of low-income older adults in Westlake, public transit safety among university students, and uncovering the transportation needs of women, and girls in partnership with Los Angeles public agencies. Outside of UCLA, Madeline serves as the vice-chair of the Metro Westside Service Council and enjoys spending time seeing Los Angeles on the bus, on foot, and by bike.

Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Luis Gutierrez

Luis Gutierrez, works in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as the Director of Energy & Water in the Office of Energy and Sustainability (MOES), Luis oversees issues related to LA’s transition to clean energy, water infrastructure, and serves as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Water and Power. Prior to joining MOES, Luis managed regulatory policy proceedings for Southern California Edison (SCE), focusing on issues related to equity and justice. Before joining SCE, Luis served as the Director of Policy and Research for Inclusive Action for the City, a community development organization dedicated to economic justice in Los Angeles. Luis holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State LA.

kim@investinginplace.org

Communications Strategist

Kim Perez

Kim is a writer, researcher and communications strategist, focused on sustainability, urban resilience and safe streets. Her specialty is taking something complex and making it clear and compelling. Harvard-trained in sustainability, she won a prize for her original research related to urban resilience in heat waves—in which she proposed a method to help cities identify where pedestrians spend a dangerous amount of time in direct sun, so they can plan for more equitable access to shade across a city.

jessica@investinginplace.org

(213) 210-8136

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jessica Meaney

For over almost two decades, Jessica has led efforts in Los Angeles to promote inclusive decision-making and equitable resource allocation in public works and transportation funding. Jessica’s current work at Investing in Place is grounded in the belief that transparent and strategic prioritization of public funds can transform Los Angeles into a city where inclusive, accessible public spaces enrich both livability and well-being. As a collaborator and convener, Jessica plays a role in facilitating public policy conversations and providing nuanced insights into the interplay of politics, power, and process on decision-making and fiscal allocations.