While Los Angeles is the home of much private beauty, most people would agree that our public parks and civic plazas do not live up to the standards of a premiere world city. The acreage of green space per capita is low,and many of our once-great parks have been cut up for parking lots and narrow purposes. In addition, “political entropy” runs high, and the original vision of public spaces is often lost over time.

Across the region, many groups are taking a fresh interest in parks, greenways, urban rivers, community gardens, public plazas, and other common ground. Some work to move private land into the public domain, some try to revitalize existing parks, and some want to create parks in former industrial zones. Major new projects are in the works.

However, regional groups often work in isolation from one another, and there has been no formal method for sharing strategies and support. Along with dedicating land and fostering great design, each of us must learn to guarantee continuity and sustain governance into the future.

Click here to check out an article on architectureweek's website about Public Space LA!