For the past two years IDG’s Gabrielle Newmark has been coordinating, planning and advocating for alternative/innovative green alleys in the Arts District. As a landscape architect Gabrielle has always been interested in open space opportunities in dense urban environments.
In our industrial neighborhoods of DTLA alleys are our best alternative open space opportunities for: capturing stormwater, creating green connective space to the River, and locating places to implement our idea of creating an Interpretive Art Urban Trail System. Even alleys that need to be maintained for vehicular use could still be redesigned to be 'greener' and at the very least sites for stormwater management prior to it flowing into the LA River. One of our organization’s advisors and friends, Krista Sloniowski, has been contributing her experience and knowledge to this entire process as a Planner who specializes in watershed management. Her guidance has been invaluable.
After two years of holding meetings with Arts District alley stakeholders, City agencies and the Council Office, we are excited to announce that one of our alternative green alley concepts will become a green alley pilot project under CD14’s DTLA FWD initiative. To follow along on Instagram click HERE.
Our alley will be one of Planning’s 3 different alley typologies in DTLA for the purpose of developing options on how to streamline the process of implementing green alleys throughout Downtown.
More to come!! This won’t happen over night but this is an immensely huge step for all of our efforts. We want to see this project pushed to the edge of what's possible for alternative green space in our industrial neighborhoods!
