LA County Equity

Building Justice: Racial Equity in Planning for Unincorporated Los Angeles County

A brief study of the histories, legacies, and impacts at the intersection of systemic racism and planning in Florence-Firestone.

This research in partnership with the County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning (County DRP) proposes that planning must do more than repeal discriminatory policies. Rather, planning departments like the County DRP must actively "build justice" through anti-racist projects that work to undo decades of harm while re-imagining the future of the just city. The proposed pilot project, Demonstration Depots upon the Metro A (Blue) line, leverage plots of vacant land, county owned-park space, and neighboring nodes of libraries and service providers to create new, highly visible neighborhood hubs. Active "demonstrations" of new County programs and policies, neighborhood reinvestment, and test projects, the Demonstration Depots introduce resource-rich and welcoming space. Initial programs were proposed from the needs of two of Florence-Firestone's most vulnerable groups: unhoused individuals, particularly the rapidly growing population of RV dwellers, and people of all ages struggling to bridge the digital divide in a time of remote school, work, and service provision.

A pilot Demonstration Depot at Roosevelt Park / Florence Station highlights the potential to build on and enhance existing infrastructure to transform a sliver of land:

• Safe Parking with associated continuum of care housing and health services

• Enhancements to the Roosevelt Park restrooms, picnic, and waste areas to service both Safe Parking and park visitors

• Wifi and charging station for Roosevelt Park, bridging the digital divide in communal space

• Light Infrastructure / space for pop up programming