An Atlantic Cities article details how the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s People St program is making it easier for communities to design and build plazas, parklets, and bike facilities on their streets.
Marissa Gluck writes of the People St program in Los Angeles, especially details of the so-called “Kit of Parts” for plazas, parklets, and bike parking. The kits provide a “streamlined framework” for approval of projects that convert street space into public spaces.
“The kits were designed with varying price points, so community groups with fewer financial resources can still afford to install parklets. More complex configurations are available to groups with access to greater funding sources,” writes Gluck.
Gluck’s coverage includes the design and construction details of how a community would implement the kits. Here Gluck quotes architect Daveed Kapor, one of the design master minds behind the project, who describes the accessibility of the kits: "Anyone can build these…It’s really simple construction, inexpensive to build, and can be removed quickly if it has to be."
People St’s kits are a product of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, especially the city’s two pedestrian coordinators, Margot Ocañas and Valerie Watson. People St is currently accepting applications, with a goal for projects to be installed by November.
FULL STORY: How L.A. Designed Simple Kits That Let You 'Make-Your-Own' Park
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research