With a population of over 80,000 people, the City of Pacoima is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando valley of Los Angeles, California. The closing of factories around Pacoima in the early 1990s started an economic decline, and Pacoima has become one of the most underserved communities in the Los Angeles area. Pacoima’s park-poor status and its highly permeable soils, together with the rise of the grassroots environmental justice organization, Pacoima Beautiful, has recently led the City to become a focal point for innovative groundwater recharge and community pilot projects. A recent street vacation project at Bradley Ave created a small commu- nity space (Bradley Ave Plaza). However, the success of this project was impacted by the alley that bisects this space, which was run down and not well utilized due to safety concerns, especially at night. As a standalone project, the space was under-utilized and offered limited The Bradley Plaza Green Alley pilot project is both an innovative stormwater and community project that reimagines how alleys func- tion in the Los Angeles area. The project team, which is comprised of The City of Los Angeles, The Trust for Public Land and Pacoima Beautiful as the client team, and Arup as the lead Designer and Engi- neer of Record, were driven to design and construct a project that not only managed stormwater effectively, but created a community space with which people could interact safely. From the start, the community was involved in the design process. Initially, a community design char- rette was held at the project site so that the community could have a say on three concepts that the team had developed. In addition to stormwater management, which was part of the project’s grant funding requirements, the community wanted better lighting and more shade, value to the community. Reimagining Pacoima Bradley Plaza Green Alley By Tony Kirby and Vanessa Thompson
landscaping, and interactive play and exercise elements along the alley. The community also voted to incorporate the Bradley Ave Plaza into the alley project so the alley and plaza could be designed as a single project, increasing the opportunity for community amenities and mak- ing the plaza, which is at the midpoint of the alley and closed to traffic, the focal point of the project. Breaking Down Barriers The project moved into formal design with the preferred elements of
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csengineermag.com
January 2021
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