Creating Common Ground

In this study, we examine public space use and experiences of low-income older adults and youth in the Westlake/MacArthur Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The primary goal is to understand the public space needs and values of these two groups and explore the similarities and differences in their use of neighborhood parks, both before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results yield insights into the potential for intergenerational uses of public space in disinvested neighborhoods.

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Using a transdisciplinary methodological approach that blends urban planning, architecture, and spatial ethnography, we assess local stakeholders’ relationships to and experiences with three different outdoor public space settings: MacArthur Park, Lafayette Park, and Golden Age Park. Spanning 18 months, our research group undertook site observations at each park to observe how users of different ages interact with public spaces; focus groups and thick mapping exercises to ask residents about their use of public spaces; one-on-one interviews to acquire a more in-depth understanding of the research participants’ historic and ongoing relationships to the neighborhood;and a participatory design exercise with both older adults and youth to listen to the suggestions for better public spaces from the part of older adults and youth, who collectively imagined what intergenerational public spaces might look like in their neighborhood.

Project Type:    Research
Participants:    cityLAB Team

Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Gustavo Leclerc
Maite Zubiaurre
Dana Cuff
Gus Wendel

Student Researchers

Claire Nelishcher
Gibson Bastar
Paola Ovando
Nallely Almaguer-Rodriguez
Audrey Younsook Jang
Zoe Frumin

Project Partners

UCLA Lewis Center
Miguel Velasquez, St. Barnabas Senior Services
Chad Finlay, St. Barnabas Senior Services
Louie Leiva, The Heart of Los Angeles
Secilia Corona, The Heart of Los Angeles

Timeline:    October 2020 – March 2022
Themes:    Spatial Justice, Urban Sensing