Does the Great Streets Initiative in Los Angeles Serve the Goals of Urban Planning from the Implementation Side?

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced a Great Streets Initiative designed to revitalize neighborhood streets and improve quality of life in the city of Los Angeles. The purpose of Great Streets is to recreate the street as a place where people want to go and spend time, rather than just a space to move through. Fifteen streets have been targeted by the mayor's office for revitalization in locations that have begun to show the early signs of complete street design, but the actual planning and street design process is intended to be bottom-up, with heavy community engagement. Although the goals outlined by the Great Streets Initiative promise positive effects, are local residents even interested in the concept of Great Streets? This study specifically focuses on two of the fifteen Los Angeles streets: Reseda Boulevard and Gaffey Street. Through an examination of case studies for similar projects in select cities throughout the United States, systematic observation of the local area as it currently exists and interviews with local area merchants, this study explores whether or not the Great Streets Initiative is serving the goals of urban planning from the implementation side, in terms of meeting the needs of the community.