ABOUT INVESTING IN PLACE
For more than a decade, Investing in Place has been a steady civic presence in Los Angeles, helping people understand how infrastructure decisions are made and shaping those decisions to reflect care, access, and daily life. We focus on sidewalks, streets, and parks because these spaces define how people move through the city and connect with one another.
Urban sociologist Jessica Meaney founded Investing in Place in 2015, not as a campaign or consultancy, but as a long-term commitment to making public space work better for everyone. We use data, storytelling, and civic strategy to advance a City that manages its public realm with transparency, coordination, and long-term care.
In just 10 years, Investing in Place has helped redirect more than $7 to $10 billion toward people-centered transportation and infrastructure, with meaningful policy changes reshaping how Los Angeles governs its public space.
Our Milestones for Better Public Spaces
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$7–10 billion in funding now prioritizes sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes
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90+ convenings held to shape more accountable, people-centered policy
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55+ new lane miles of bus-only lanes implemented across Los Angeles
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125 types of public infrastructure documented in LA’s first-ever right-of-way inventory
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196 Angelenos interviewed for one of the city’s only qualitative datasets on public space
2025
Convening cross-sector experts to recommend improvements for LA.
To activate a culture of stewardship of public space in Los Angeles, we convened the Public Space Leadership Council, a group that includes civic leaders who each bring deep experience in making cities work better for people. We published a report highlighting 16 opportunities to improve how LA cares for its sidewalks, streets, and parks (A City That Works: Public Space as a Civic Promise). Separately we also convened more than 50 civic leaders to refine these recommendations, focusing on long-term planning, transparent budgeting, and structural reform.
2023-2024
Setting out to understand how people see and use public space in Los Angeles.
Public spaces shape quality of life. Through in-person interviews and online surveys, we captured stories from 196 Angelenos about their favorite public spaces and published the results (Common Ground: Favorite Public Spaces in LA). This project highlighted the importance of public spaces in fostering well-being, community connection, and a sense of belonging across Los Angeles.
2023
Creating the first-ever inventory of LA’s public right-of-way.
LA can’t manage what it doesn’t measure. By engaging City staff and agencies, we created a report (We’ve Got LA’s Number) that provides a comprehensive view of the City’s streets and infrastructure, offering policymakers critical insights for equitable allocation of infrastructure funds. This project was informed by the very people who manage the City’s assets, making it a groundbreaking resource for LA’s decision-makers.
2022-2025
Researching and educating about best practices and practical policy solutions.
We recognized that to improve quality of life for all Angelenos, especially those who walk, roll, and ride, we need reforms at the highest levels. We identified LA’s need for a comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) and developed a framework for it, rooted in best practices from more than 40 cities. We built public understanding and momentum through workshops and plain-language educational guides. We developed a Community Pledge that was endorsed by 80+ organizations and individuals, which we submitted to Mayor Bass. Our work helped inform City Council motions and Executive Directives from Mayor Bass.
2020-2022
Lifting up the voices and experiences of those who rely on buses in LA.
In 2020, we produced research and helped mobilize public attention to the consequences of Metro’s pandemic-era hiring freeze and its plan for budget cuts. We also set out to hear from riders directly. We documented the experiences of 58 volunteers who surveyed the challenges Metro bus riders face daily (The Bus Stops Here). Collaborating with organizations like SAJE and the Bus Riders Union, we ensured the voices of women and monolingual Spanish speakers were amplified, generating media coverage and pressuring policymakers to improve LA’s bus infrastructure.
2019-2020
Doubling LA’s bus-only lanes in 5 years—more than the past 30 years combined.
Unreliability is one of the most frustrating aspects of bus travel. With dedicated lanes, buses can move faster and it’s more likely they’ll arrive on schedule. Our Better Buses for LA workgroup played a key role in the City of LA’s implementation of more bus-only lanes. In 2019, there were only 31.6 lane miles of bus-only lanes. As of 2024, that number has grown to more than 55 lane miles.
2019
Helping create Metro’s first-ever Department of Equity and Race.
In LA, funding is not usually allocated based on need. Thanks to our 2016 policy paper (What We Measure Matters), Metro for the first time adopted a map identifying high-need communities, to guide investments and programs based on need. Our advocacy also led to the creation of Metro’s Executive Officer for Equity and Race position in 2019, and we helped shape the role’s scope. This has since expanded into a full department.
2018-2020
Listening to moms who rely on public space and public transportation.
In partnership with South Central LAMP, we led the Moms and Mobility initiative, documenting the experiences of mothers and caregivers navigating LA’s public realm with their children. Their insights shaped a report, mini-documentaries, and meetings with Metro leadership, sharing how challenging it can be for moms and kids to be at the mercy of unreliable buses and broken sidewalks to run errands, get to school, visit the doctor, or enjoy the nearest park.
2016-2017
Calling attention to LA’s problematic sidewalks.
Nearly half of LA’s sidewalks are broken, and many lack shade—making them unreliable and unsafe. We produced Tripping Point Conferences, partnering with organizations working across mobility, public space, and community equity. We brought together community leaders to share strategies for advancing policies that improve LA’s sidewalks, street trees, and public spaces.
2016
Making transit more accessible by bringing investment to first/last mile improvements.
Local jurisdictions are required by Metro to contribute 3% of the total cost of transit capital projects within their boundaries. Based on recommendations from Investing in Place, Metro started allowing jurisdictions to meet this requirement by making first/last mile improvements: safer sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike connections near transit stations. These features make walking and biking safer and more accessible.
2016
Shaping LA’s first-ever dedicated funding and plan for active transportation.
Measure M transportation sales tax measure was on the horizon and we worked to ensure sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and access to transit were part of the plan. The result: 6 to 8 percent of Measure M’s $122 billion was allocated to people-centered mobility. That was the first time Metro dedicated funding for people walking, rolling, and biking. Jessica served as inaugural chair of the council that advised Metro on Measure M implementation, and Investing in Place also led the campaign for Metro to adopt its first agency-wide Active Transportation Strategic Plan.
2015
Catching a vision: Improving the city for people who walk and roll
Conducting her own research while working for a national nonprofit, Jessica Meaney discovered that in the Los Angeles region less than 1% of transportation funding went toward sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes—meaning people who walk and roll lack safety and access. She founded Investing in Place to call attention to this gap in LA governance.
Our work continues!
Grow this work!
Help support independent accountability for LA’s public realm by going here and donating to the work of Investing in Place. Your support will help us continue to conduct research, connect with Angelenos, and share what we learn so people are empowered to have a voice in how LA cares for our public spaces.
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