Infrastructure

The pilot project launched by the City of Los Angeles in May 2015 combines the concepts of carsharing, EVs, environmental responsibility and equity. Operating on at least 80% EVs from the following underserved neighborhoods—Westlake-MacArthur Park, Pico-Union, parts of Downtown, Echo Park and Koreatown—Phase 1 of the pilot project aims to recruit 7,000 low-income residents.   However, carshare services and electric vehicle (EV) advertising tends to focus on middle to upper-middle-class individuals and communities. To address this gap, the objective of Barberena’s project is to provide recommendations on developing a carsharing model that successfully services low-income residents in Los Angeles through qualitative data analyses (e.g. interviews, literature review).  

Transportation emissions are a primary cause of Los Angeles’ notoriously poor air quality. Policymakers and “smart growth” advocates assert that intensifying land use around the public transit rail system will not only help accomplish transportation and environmental goals, but also housing and economic development goals. However, recent studies reveal that rail development is linked to gentrification and displacement of public transit’s core ridership. This project combined literature and policy review, spatial analysis and interviews to investigate underlying causes and develop future policy recommendations that prioritize social equity and minimize displacement.