Expanding Equitable and Sustainable Planning at L.A. Metro

The Challenge

This project sought to answer what the overlaps between sustainability and equity are within the context of development projects at L.A. Metro. There is transit-oriented affordable housing being developed along the Metro A (formerly Blue) Line in disadvantaged communities. The purpose of this project specifically was to assess the sustainability and equity concerns of the residents in Watts.

The Solution

The solution to the problem was to increase communication between Watts community members and L.A. Metro. Hoague sought to fill the communication gap by working with Watts community organizations to document their sustainability and equity concerns.

Often-disadvantaged communities like Watts have unique sustainability needs that get overlooked. She chose to pursue this solution because there was a need to further inform the joint development process happening in the neighborhood. 

Findings

• A Just Transition includes a sustainable, democratic engagement process. What L.A. Metro is doing is similar to a Just Transition.
• L.A. Metro's equity-based tools pay close attention to disadvantaged communities.
• Watts has sustainability needs that are specific to its social and geographic position in Los Angeles that are often not considered.

Next Steps

The results of this project will be used to inform a further community engagement process with Watts residents about the development projects happening in their neighborhood. The concerns of residents have been communicated to the L.A. Metro community engagement team. If the proposed joint development moves forward, those concerns will be a part of the conversation about what residents want to see in their community. This is important because the community has specific concerns about sustainability and cultural heritage in Watts.