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Los Angeles’ Untapped Resource Recommendations to Streamline and Standardize Citywide Green Alley Implementation

Rachel Lindt Client: The Trust for Public Land

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles’ Untapped Resource

Recommendations to Streamline and Standardize Citywide Green Alley Implementation

A comprehensive project submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree

Master of Urban & Regional Planning

By Rachel Lindt

Client: The Trust for Public Land

Faculty Chair of Committee: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris

2015

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Disclaimer: Neither the University of California nor the Luskin School of Public Affairs either supports or disavows the findings in any project, report, paper, or research listed herein. University affiliations are for identification only; the University is not involved in or responsible for the project.

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Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my faculty advisors (both formal and informal), Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and Evy Blumenberg, for providing invaluable academic insight and guidance. I would also like to thank Natalia Gaerlen and Holly Elwell, as well as the rest of The Trust for Public Land, for your support, guidance and enthusiasm. It has been a pleasure to be a part of sharing the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project. This report builds off of the March 2015 UCLA Luskin Center report, “Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project + Lessons Learned from Previous Projects for Green Alley Development in Los Angeles and Beyond.” I am indebted to Colleen Callahan, who devoted her time, energy and expertise to this report. I would like to take the time to thank Laura Ballock and Tori Kjer of The Trust for Public Land, who spent their time sharing the story of the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project with me and providing guidance on the case study. I would also like to thank the many project managers and experts, who shared their time in the interview process for the UCLA Luskin Center report’s case studies, including Janet Attarian, Liz Stenning, Lucia Athens, David Winslow, Michael O’Shea, Holly Harper, Steve Cancian, Sarah MacPherson-Besley, Carlos De La Fuente, and Majid Sadeghi. I would like to thank the project managers and professionals that shared their time in the interview process for this report. Several of the same interviewees as the UCLA Luskin Center report deserve an additional thank you, including, Carlos De La Fuente, Liz Stenning, Majid Sadeghi. Additional interviewees that I would like to thank include, Nicholas Maricich, Bryan Eck, Greg Good, Valerie Watson, Melinda Gejer, Majid Sadeghi, Alice Gong, and Kevin Ocubillo. The Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative (LASC) funded and supported this research through their fellowship program. I would like to thank Colleen Callahan, my LASC liaison, who has provided me with continued invaluable guidance on this report. Additional support through the LASC came from my Technical Advisory Committee. I would like to thank the experts on my Technical Advisory Committee, Mona Seymour, Jim Marchese, Wing Tam and Nicholas Maricich, for their advice, time and enthusiasm. This report has truly benefitted from your thoughtful advice and suggestions. Lastly, but not in the slightest of the least, I would like to thank my support network, including my parents, friends, and boyfriend, who have all been integral to this document.

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Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1

Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 1

Tables and Figures ........................................................................................................................ 10

Part 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 11 Purpose of Report ..................................................................................................................... 11 Significance ............................................................................................................................... 13 The Los Angeles Context ......................................................................................................... 13

A Recent Demonstration in Los Angeles ................................................................................ 18 Research Question and Report Overview .............................................................................. 20 How This Report Can Be Used ................................................................................................ 21

Part 2: Background ....................................................................................................................... 22 Housing ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Services and Businesses ......................................................................................................... 25 Community Commons .............................................................................................................. 27 Service and Property Access ................................................................................................... 28 Alleys as Unsanitary, Dangerous Places ................................................................................ 30 Elimination of Alleys ................................................................................................................. 30

Part 3. Literature Review ............................................................................................................... 32 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 32 Section I: The Rebirth of Alleys ............................................................................................... 33

Many Shades of Green ........................................................................................................... 33 The Alley as an Element of Many Systems ............................................................................ 35

Section II: Green Alleys, a New and Burgeoning Opportunity .............................................. 41 Opportunities .......................................................................................................................... 42 Challenges .............................................................................................................................. 42 Variability in definition among project and program literature ................................................. 43 Limited Scope of Existing Green Alley Projects and Programs .............................................. 44

Further Research: The Impact of Green Alleys ...................................................................... 44 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 44

Part 4. Green Alley Case Study Models ....................................................................................... 46 Case Study Organization .......................................................................................................... 49 Social: Seattle’s Alley Network Project ................................................................................... 50 Economic: Hollywood’s East Cahuenga Corridor Alley Revitalization Project .................. 58 Environmental: Chicago’s Green Alley Program ................................................................... 64 Multiple Focuses: South Los Angeles’ Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project ........................................................................................................................................ 70 Summary of Case Study Lessons Learned ............................................................................ 77 Next steps .................................................................................................................................. 79

Part 5: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations ....................................................... 80

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Research in Los Angeles .......................................................................................................... 80 Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations ............................................................... 82

1. Function + Use .................................................................................................................... 84 2. Landscaping + Design ........................................................................................................ 90 3. Funding + Implementation for Green Alley Development and Implementation ................... 93 4. Green infrastructure + Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) ......................... 100 5. Safety and Maintenance ................................................................................................... 103

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 108

Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 109 Appendix 1: Interview List ...................................................................................................... 109

1. 1 Case Studies and Notable Examples ............................................................................ 109 1.2 City of Los Angeles Agencies ......................................................................................... 110

Appendix 2: Recruitment Email ............................................................................................. 111 2.1 Case Studies ................................................................................................................... 111 2.2 City Agencies .................................................................................................................. 112

Appendix 3: Interview Instrument .......................................................................................... 113 3.1 Case Studies ................................................................................................................... 113 3.2 City Agencies .................................................................................................................. 114

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 116

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Executive Summary There is untapped potential in alleys. While alleys are common elements of dense urban environments, they are often neglected and underutilized spaces. They have been utilized for many purposes throughout history, including housing, waste, and access. Many uses remain today, yet alleys are often associated with unsightly and unsafe activities. Cities are now revisiting alleys as opportunities for providing multiple benefits to urban residents. A distinct and promising effort in alley revitalization efforts is the development of green alleys. Green alleys expand upon the single-purpose infrastructure of alleys and convert underutilized alleyways into community assets and resources for environmental, economic and social benefits. By converting underutilized alleys into green alleys, the space can be used for any combination of community gathering, recreation, walking and cycling, stormwater management, retail and entertainment activities, public and community art, and municipal services. Cities across the U.S. are partaking in the movement to develop green alleys, including Los Angeles. Most recently, the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project in South Los Angeles, a pilot project led by The Trust for Public Land in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LA Sanitation), is demonstrating the process of transforming underutilized alleys into multi-purpose spaces with a range of benefits, including stormwater capture and infiltration, recreation and green space, and pedestrian passageways. While there have been several green alley efforts in Los Angeles, the City is beginning to standardize the process to support the wide implementation of green alleys citywide. A standardized process can aid in replicating green alley efforts, like the Avalon Project, so that the 900 linear miles of alleys in the city of Los Angeles can be transformed into green alleys. The goal of this research is to support a standardized process and assist an interdepartmental conversation related to coordinated, city-driven green alley efforts in the City of Los Angeles and other cities across the U.S. Through a review of academic literature and planning documents surrounding green alleys that discuss best practices, case studies, and research findings, interviews with personnel from City of Los Angeles agencies and case studies of four green alley models with various objectives, key findings and recommendations for the City of Los Angeles emerged.

Recommendations The following recommendations are derivative of key findings from interviews with personnel from the City of Los Angeles and the four green alley models featured in this report. Through interviews with nine city departments related to challenges and opportunities to standardizing green alleys, I extracted five themes:

v Function and use

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v Stormwater BMPs (the devices or techniques used to capture, treat or redirect stormwater, such as permeable pavement, catch basins, bioswales, rain gardens, etc.)

v Landscaping and Design v Funding and Implementation for green alley development and implementation v Safety (including considerations for personal injury, property damage, and city liability) and

Maintenance. While the following recommendations presented in this section are catered to Los Angeles, other cities may experience similar challenges and opportunities, and therefore can benefit from the recommendations. Each recommendation outlined below is assigned responsible agencies for the purposes of facilitating interdepartmental collaboration towards standardizing green alleys in the City of Los Angeles.

1.1 Utilize routine updates of localized policy documents, such as Community Plans or Specific Plans, to identify the best use and function of green alleys.

Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, The Department of City Planning, the Bureau of Engineering, the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Sanitation Use local policy documents as a method of identifying and cataloging potential alley improvement sites. Several city departments must collaborate on this task due to the need to map, identify existing functions, and test soil types and other ecological factors for potential stormwater best management practices. The Community Plan update in the Downtown region is an opportunity to apply this strategy of identification, data collection, analysis and evaluation due to the number and density of alleys. 1.2 (a) Communicate to the public and city personnel standard plans available for transforming alleys promote through interdepartmental training and; Responsible agencies: Bureau of Engineering Currently there are standard plans that enable innovative construction in Los Angeles alleys, such as permeable paving. However, the standard plans are not promoted and made easily available to the public or city personnel through education material. The City of Los Angeles should communicate and promote standard plans through educational materials and interdepartmental training. 1.2 (b) Streamline permitting process to enable unconventional uses in alleys Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering

Function + Use

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The Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 is an essential resource for changing the street designation of an alley to a pedestrian mall. Doing so allows for current standards, such as curb-to-curb interlocking permeable pavers, to be implemented. While two precedents have set the stage for further pedestrian mall designations in the city of Los Angeles, the process of changing the street designation requires City Council approval and other regulatory steps. The City of Los Angeles should streamline the permitting process to designate a street as a pedestrian mall.

2.1 Create an inter-departmental task force to develop a handbook or toolkit for green alley development. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments The Green Alley Subcommittee made great strides in 2009 in developing standards for green alleys, providing a vision for the city, and jumpstarting an interdepartmental collaboration around alleys. However, the Green Alley Subcommittee is currently in hiatus until the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project and the South Los Angeles Green Alley Master Plan complete data collection, evaluation, and determination of next steps. When completed, the Green Alley Subcommittee needs to be reactivated in order to build upon the previous work. Specifically, the City of Los Angeles should create a handbook or toolkit for green alley development in order to provide public education, replicable typologies, and a transparent process for navigating the design, development, permitting and construction process. Providing a blueprint for development process can empower community partners to initiate green alley projects, as well as promote public and private collaboration. 2.2 Use lessons learned and best practices from Seattle, Hollywood and other cities to apply an innovative solution to balancing service functions and other green alley design features in Los Angeles Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Sharing lessons learned and best practices across cities can bring innovative solutions to common issues facing dense North American cities. The City of Los Angeles should draw from Seattle’s Alley Network Project and Hollywood’s EaCa Alley Project to understand lessons learned in balancing important municipal services, such as trash service, and other green alley design features, such as seating and landscaping. For example, in areas that are identified as pedestrian priority, the City could consolidate trash receptacles among alley adjacent businesses on a nearby site or remove trash receptacles for a daily bag service.

Landscaping + Design

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3.1 Build off of the Great Streets Initiative and create a Great Alleys Initiative Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments The Mayor’s Great Streets Initiative sets precedence for a citywide program that is implemented by the City’s 15 council districts, in collaboration with city departments. Through a Great Alleys Initiative, every council district could collaborate with city departments to design, develop and implement a green alley to demonstrate the citywide potential and lessons learned. The benefits of instituting a green alley program at the city level are that the city government has a duty to equally distribute service and improvements across the geography, and socioeconomic lines, of the city. Furthermore, the benefits of designing and developing green alleys at the city council level are that each council district can adapt the green alley potential based on unique issues and objectives present. Lastly, origination of a citywide green alley initiative from the Mayor’s office can leverage the ability to access implementation departments in order to:

o Encourage their prioritization; o Inform and influence standards and regulations; o Steer the planning of departments towards green alley development and; o Streamline the work, which can help to accelerate the replication of pilots and in

turn, accelerate or promulgate policy 3.2 Designate the Bureau of Sanitation to lead green alley efforts due to their knowledge in stormwater best management practices and current leadership in green streets. Look to the Department of Transportation’s Parklet Program as a program model in streamlining and centralizing development materials. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, City Administrator Officer, Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation, Department of City Planning The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) has demonstrated commitment to sustainability, as seen in their Clean Water Program and Watershed Protection Division, as well as their leadership in developing and constructing green streets in the City of Los Angeles. Currently, LASAN is Co-Chair or the Green Streets Committee, along with the Board of Public Works. LASAN is poised to take the lead on green alley efforts, which can help in coordinating interdepartmental efforts, obtaining resources and funding, and implementing projects. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s (LADOT) Parklet Program provides a model and precedent for a city department-led initiative that was developed in conjunction with multitude of other departments. Specifically,

Funding + Implementation for Green Alley Development and Implementation

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LADOT collaborated with other city departments to create a streamlined and centralized program for the public to apply for the creation of parklets and plazas in their community, along with detailed design for the parklets. This public one-stop-shop model of the People St. Program is an important precedent for LASAN that can be replicated to:

o Pilot projects o Streamline the development and implementation process o Pilot a program o Develop a green alley toolkit o Weave green alleys into existing and future planning documents o Establish an official program

3.3 (a) Incorporate green alleys in the menu of public benefit options for additional development rights; (b) Name alleys to give identity and promote placemaking, investment and development and; (c) Apply for local, state and federal grants that support alternative transportation, water quality, and urban greening. 3.3 (a) Incorporate green alleys in the menu of public benefit options for additional development rights Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning The City of Los Angeles is currently in a comprehensive update process of the municipal zoning code, which provides an opportunity to incorporate green alleys as one of the public benefit options available for developers to gain additional development rights, such as increased height. This planning initiative, referred to as Re:code:LA, gives the Department of City Planning the opportunity to weave green alleys into the municipal zoning code, among other important public benefit options, such as open space and affordable housing. 3.3 (b) Name alleys to give identity and promote placemaking, investment and development.

Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation Providing a formal name to an unnamed alley can foster multiple uses. The City of Los Angeles should name alleys in conjunction with other strategies to encourage green alley development to promote placemaking, investment and development. Businesses are more likely to establish an entrance from the alley with a legitimate name, address and recognition from the city. 3.3 (c) Apply for local, state and federal grants that support alternative transportation, water quality, and urban greening. Responsible agencies: The Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of City Planning

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Many grants are coming to the City of Los Angeles related to water quality and greening, and alternative transportation. Below is a list of recommended grants to apply for that can fund green alley development, based on previous awards in the area and best practices from other cities:

1. The State Water Resources Board Urban Greening Grant, 2. Proposition 84 Stormwater Grant Program (SWGP), 3. Proposition O Clean Water Bond (only for capital improvements), 4. Proposition 1 Water Bond. 5. Assembly Bill 2403 to enact fees for stormwater capture, 6. Metro’s Call for Projects (specifically, the Pedestrian Improvements category) 7. California Department of Transportation’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), 8. Federal Highway Administration’s (FHA) Transportation Alternative Program (TAP)1

3.4 Create a data-driven approach to identifying and funding green alley projects. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation Several projects and programs within the City of Los Angeles are employing a data-driven approach to prioritizing efforts. For instance, the Clean Streets Initiative, established in March 2015, is using a street cleanliness index to identify and grade all the streets in the city. Based on the grade, funding and personnel will be located where it is needed the most. This approach helps to focus efforts and give more urgency to the issue. Furthermore, data-driven approaches set the stage for funding by quantifying resources and outcomes and, therefore, providing a clear baseline to improve upon. There is opportunity to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help identify and visualize locations that fulfill a narrow list of identified criteria, which can include examples such as: (1) locations where mandates can be fulfilled for the City, such as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) per the State Water Board NID permit for Los Angeles County, or the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and; (2) locations where efforts and funding for greening the Los Angeles River, such as the Army Corps of Engineers-backed project to “update L.A.'s relationship with its river, converting an ugly concrete back alley into a new verdant front yard, bringing parkland and recreation, along with wildlife habitat and flood protection, to the city center.2”

1 According to the Federal Highway Administration, the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) provides funding for “programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation; recreational trail program projects; safe routes to school projects; and projects for planning, designing, or constructing boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways.” (FHWA, 2014). If green alleys are developed with goals of strengthening the pedestrian network, activated alleys can serve as transportation alternatives by functioning as pedestrian passageways. 2 The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board. "How Green Can L.A. and Its River Be?" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2014. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0530-river-20140530-story.html>.

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4.1 Ensure that alleys are included in the creation of detailed stormwater management guidelines for green infrastructure elements in the public right-of-way. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation Guidelines for green infrastructure can provide essential information for public and private entities interested in incorporating stormwater management best practices in sites. This recommendation is timely as a recent motion calling for all new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements was approved by the Los Angeles City Council.3 The motion involves the creation of stormwater management guidelines for public street construction and reconstruction. An upcoming City Council vote will enable the ordinance to take effect. The motion makes mention of green alleys, which is a promising indication of their inclusion in the potential stormwater management guidelines that will be created if the motion passes the Los Angeles City Council. However, the City of Los Angeles should ensure that the potential stormwater management guidelines include configurations that are appropriate for alleys. 4.2 Pilot a green alley program to test materials and stormwater best management practices. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Council Office, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments One of the cited major obstacles to developing green alleys is the regulatory process to implement new, sustainable materials and practices in alleys. Therefore, the City of Los Angeles should pilot a

green alley to test new materials and stormwater best management practices in order to make a wider palette of materials available for alleys. A particular element to test is the structural integrity

of the standard permeable pavers, which has yet to be confirmed in terms of ability to sustain loads required by the Department of Public Works and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

3 Zaldivar, Enrique C., Gary Lee Moore, and Nazaria Sauceda. "City of Los Angeles Inter-Departmental Correspondence." Green Sustainable Streets Council Motion (Council File 14-0748) Rev (6-80) Form. Gen 160 (2015): n. pag. City of Los Angeles, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0748_rpt_bos_01-14-15.pdf>.

Green Infrastructure + Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)

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5.1 (a) Use the municipal zoning code to reinforce activated alleys through the inclusion of alley frontage regulations. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning The municipal zoning code is a powerful implementation tool for cities. Green alleys can be integrated at the zoning level where standards are written to support an alley system, such as design treatments along alley frontages that serve to activate the alley or to achieve goals identified in the plan. This alley frontage approach is currently being considered in the re:code LA planning initiative, a comprehensive revision of the city’s outdated zoning code. The City of Los Angeles should ensure that this strategy is woven into the code as a part of the comprehensive re:code LA effort in order to bring more ‘eyes on the street’ to alleys. 5.1 (b) Create a step-by-step guide on how to obtain necessary permits for alley events Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services Bringing people to alleys to gather as a community, play and participate in events is a strategy to ease apprehension in using alleys as public space as well as encourage property owners and businesses to locate themselves adjacent to the alley. In order to facilitate this culture, the City of Los Angeles should create a step-by-stop guide on how to obtain necessary permits for alley events, such as farmers markets, art gallery parties and movie screenings. 5.2 Partner with non-profit organizations and community-based agencies to connect with community members, who can provide input and become stewards for green alleys. Responsible agencies: Bureau of Sanitation, the Los Angeles, Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation With a lack of resources and shrinking city budgets, identifying non-profit and private entities for collaboration is a source for green alley project development. In the case of the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project in South Los Angeles, the Bureau of Sanitation secured funding and worked with the Trust for Public Land on a pilot project that could help to accelerate future efforts. In effect, organizations like the Trust for Public Land are taking on some of the roles that have been traditionally fulfilled by city government, such as project development and community outreach. The City of Los Angeles can leverage the numerous, specialized non-profits working at the neighborhood level in the Los Angeles region and work to closely incorporate their efforts into city staff’s work. A promising collaboration includes the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to target

Safety + Maintenance

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alley cleanup (including removing overgrown vegetation, garbage, and bulky items that are often dumped) through their Clean & Green Program. 5.3 Create a division within the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) that specializes in the designing, development, installation and maintenance of green infrastructure for green street, green alley, and other sustainable public right-of-way projects. Green streets are gaining attention in the City of Los Angeles, in part due to the recent May 2015 Los Angeles City Council motion calling for new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements. Other sustainable practices, in terms of construction, have been in place since 2012 through the City’s Low Impact Development ordinance, which seeks to mitigate the impacts of runoff and stormwater pollution as close to its source as possible.4 Furthermore, Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti has identified the Bureau of Sanitation as the lead agency to implement his clean streets initiative Executive directive. In all, in the City of Los Angeles, sustainable practices are increasing in political popularity and importance. In extension of Mayor Garcetti’s directive, the City of Los Angeles should create a division within Bureau of Sanitation that specializes in designing, developing and maintaining green infrastructure and other sustainable materials or practices. Precedents of green alley projects and cleaning of alleys in the City of Los Angeles have highlighted the potential for the Bureau of Sanitation to assume responsibility of green alley infrastructures in alleys. The combined knowledge, experience and jurisdiction over alleys can provide a source of maintenance support for green alley development. As maintenance is key to the performance of green infrastructure, proactively allocating resources to the maintenance of these elements is key to ensuring success.

4 "Low Impact Development." City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.lastormwater.org/green-la/low-impact-development/>.

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Tables and Figures Figure 1: Alley density in the city of Los Angeles, by subregion ...................................................... 15 Figure 2: Rendering of the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project ............................ 19 Figure 3: Time line of historical functions of alley use ..................................................................... 23 Figure 4: Alley Dwellings in Galveston, Texas ................................................................................. 24 Figure 5: Alley Dwellings in Washington D.C. in the 1930s ............................................................. 25 Figure 6: Plan view of Shepard Alley in Washington D.C., showing a fine-grain assortment of businesses, homes and stables ....................................................................................................... 26 Figure 7: Alleys as Community Commons in Washington, D.C. ...................................................... 28 Figure 8: Mullen’s Alley in New York in the late 18th century ........................................................... 29 Figure 9: Evolution of street patterns since 1900 showing gradual adaptation to the car ............... 31 Figure 10: Green Alley Categorization ............................................................................................. 47 Figure 11: Community gathering in Nord Alley, Seattle ................................................................... 51 Figure 12: Tour de France Viewing in Nord Alley, Seattle ............................................................... 54 Figure 13: Alley Closure for PARK(ing) DAY in Pioneer Square ..................................................... 55 Figure 14: Context-sensitive solution to adding greenery ............................................................... 57 Figure 15: Art Installation and Sign in Nord Alley, Seattle ............................................................... 57 Figure 16: Trash, debris and long-standing pools of water before improvements ........................... 58 Figure 17: Spice Alley Event in EaCa Alley ..................................................................................... 62 Figure 18: Rehabilitated, pedestrian-friendly alley after improvements ........................................... 63 Figure 19: Chicago alley before improvement ................................................................................. 65 Figure 20: Chicago Green Alley Handbook ..................................................................................... 66 Figure 21: Green Alley Handbook diagram visualizing elements of permeable paving ................... 67 Figure 22: Chicago green alley after improvements ........................................................................ 68 Figure 23: Dark Sky Compliant Lighting .......................................................................................... 69 Figure 24: Conditions of South Los Angeles Alleys Prior to Retrofit ................................................ 71 Figure 25: Standing Water Pools in Alley Prior to Retrofit ............................................................... 72 Figure 26: Presentation of the Avalon Project Design Ideas to the Community .............................. 72 Figure 27: The Avalon Green Team cleaning an alley in the South Park neighborhood ................. 73 Figure 28: Prioritization of Alley Improvements ............................................................................... 74 Figure 29: Rendering of the Pedestrian-only Segment of the Avalon Project ................................. 75 Table 1: Summary of Case Study Features ..................................................................................... 77 Figure 30: Standard Plan ‘S-485’ for Centerline Strip of Permeable Pavers ................................... 88 Figure 31: Standard Plan ‘S-486’ for Curb-to-Curb Permeable Pavers ........................................... 89 Figure 32: Overlapping Jurisdiction in Los Angeles Green Alleys ................................................... 96 Cover image: The Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project rendering in South Los Angeles Image Credit: SALT Landscape Architects

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Part 1. Introduction Purpose of Report Alleys are functional spaces used for a diverse range of activities. Yet, in general, urban alleys are largely underutilized and understudied.5 Historically and currently, alleys serve many important ‘back of house’ functions of buildings and streets, such as for trash containers, utilities, and storage of other elements desired to be removed from the street.6 Frequently their association with crime and blight over shadow their usefulness.7 In response, some cities have either closed or gated alleys as strategies to mitigate these negative issues.8 Other cities are realizing the potential for alleys to fulfill multiple objectives and be transformed into community assets. Green alleys expand upon single-purpose infrastructure of alleys and convert underutilized alleyways into community assets and resources for environmental, economic and social benefits. It is important to highlight that this report uses an expanded notion of ‘green’ as a concept that is synonymous with sustainability. Examples of activities that can be found in green alleys include community gathering, stormwater capture and infiltration, landscaping, and seating for adjacent cafes. Perception shifts in alley use can bring policy shifts and incentives for expanded use and functions. While other cities across North America have implemented such policies to support expanded alley use, the City of Los Angeles has begun create a standardized process. The Green Alley Sub-committee was created within the Green Streets Committee, an interdepartmental effort focused on green streets in the City of Los Angeles in 2008. The Bureau of Sanitation leads this effort as part of their Green Infrastructures Program, which also includes Green Streets, to address multiple benefits such as to “improve stormwater management of quality and quantity, harvest rainwater for use, increase water supply through percolation, improve air quality, reduce heat island effect, enhance habitat and open space, enhance pedestrian workability, encourage alternative means of transportation, and provide a more aesthetically pleasing environment and community pride leading to revive local communities, healthy neighborhoods, and the economy.9” Yet, this sub-committee dissolved into the Green Streets Committee, in 2009. However, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation is partnering with the Trust for Public Land to develop the Avalon

5 Clay, Grady. 1978. Alleys, a Hidden Resource: Being a Disquisition upon the Origins, Natural Disposition and Occurrences in the American Scene of Alleys. G. Clay and Co; 1st edition 6 Maricich, Nicholas and Eck, Bryan. “Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities to Standardizing Green Alleys in the Department of City Planning.” Telephone interview. 2 Mar. 2015. 7 Seymour, M., Bradbury, H., Wolch, J., and Reynolds, K.D. 2009. Resident perceptions of urban alleys and alley greening. Applied Geography. 30 (3), 380-392. 8 Seymour, M., Bradbury, H., Wolch, J., and Reynolds, K.D. 2009. Resident perceptions of urban alleys and alley greening. Applied Geography. 30 (3), 380-392. 9 Tam, Wing. Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. Email correspondence. 24 May 2015.

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Green Alley Network Demonstration Project in South Los Angeles to identify alleys as valuable resources with the potential for multiple benefits and outcomes. As such, the purpose of this report is to (1) present the benefits of green alleys (2) analyze green alley case study models that demonstrate several approaches, facilitators, funding sources, etc. to standardizing green alleys; (3) assess challenges and opportunities to standardizing green alleys for the City of Los Angeles, and outline policy recommendations for the City. The goal of this research is to support a standardized process and jumpstart an interdepartmental conversation related to coordinated, city-driven green alley efforts in the City of Los Angeles and other cities across the U.S. Green alleys can come in many different forms, for example, operating as a one-day, community event, or a permanent pedestrian corridor. They can function as any combination of a (1) service or utility corridor, (2) point of access between buildings, (3) entrance/exit of properties, (4) secondary storefront for businesses, (5) space for temporary or permanent retail extension, public use, greenery and stormwater management. Infrastructure elements common to most green alleys include permeable paving, vegetation, and other stormwater management techniques. It is important to note that applying or constructing such elements in alleys does not necessarily restrict existing uses, such as ingress, egress and access by municipal services.10 The type of green alley created depends on the project scope, the amount of resources available and the surrounding land uses. In order to capture the range of green alley projects and programs, this report (1) presents a literature review of the influences and previous research on green alleys; (2) provides an organizational framework for understanding the objectives of green alley projects; and (3) offers representative examples from previous green alley transformations throughout North America. Each green alley model discusses design and development, implementation and maintenance, evaluation and challenges and lessons learned. Despite a Los Angeles focus, many of the challenges, opportunities, and policy recommendations presented in this document can be transferable to other communities across the U.S. The City of Los Angeles, like many other cities, faces funding, manpower and liability constraints, among others, related to the idea of a green alley standardized process. This report is not intended to be a toolkit for green alley development and implementation, but rather a foundation for capturing challenges and opportunities at the city-level, as well as lessons learned and best practices from other cities to help expand and standardize green alleys in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

10 Cassidy, A., Newell, J., and J. Wolch. 2008. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities. (p.3)

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Significance With a dearth of open space in urban environments in the U.S., innovative strategies have emerged to re-imagine and re-adapt public space and infrastructure. Municipalities, community organizations, citizens, and private businesses are helping to transform underutilized spaces for vehicles into multi-purpose places for people. Examples include installing green infrastructure, pedestrian plazas and parklets. Historically, alleys were a key urban design feature of pre-WWII cities, used for milk and coal delivery, access to secondary housing, and vehicular access to the back entrance of properties.11 While alleys today are still used for vehicular access, including municipal services and deliveries, many have become ignored or feared for being locations for illicit activities, refuse and illegal dumping. Communities across the nation are beginning to examine how such an abundant infrastructural element could be transformed to realize more benefits. In the past decade, interests in alleys have increased at the same time that there have been advancements in planning for sustainability and green infrastructure. Together these forces have manifested into an informal movement to develop “green” alleys.12 Examples include Chicago’s alleys with stormwater infiltration and strategies for flooding abatement; Seattle’s community events and activities held in the historic and central business district’s alleys; Hollywood’s revitalized commercial alley in the Hollywood Entertainment District and; Los Angeles’ alley network for recreation, open space, and stormwater management. These projects and programs, among many others, have clearly expanded the trash-receptacle and municipal service delivery function of alleys and capitalized on their multi-functional potential.

The Los Angeles Context Overall, there is a unique set of issues in Los Angeles that are encouraging a focus on alleys. Within the City of Los Angeles, there is growing awareness of the importance of stormwater conservation and quality during the current drought, recognition of the deficit of parks and open space in many urban neighborhoods, and issues with illegal dumping in alleys.13 Other California cities and dense metropolitan areas also face similar issues. Alleys constitute a major opportunity to respond to these issues through their transformation into multipurpose green alleys. The following section elaborates on select issues facing Los Angeles and highlights how the city can look to the alleys under-realized assets to fulfill many objectives.

11 Clay, Grady. 1978. Alleys, a Hidden Resource: Being a Disquisition upon the Origins, Natural Disposition and Occurrences in the American Scene of Alleys. G. Clay and Co; 1st edition 12 Cassidy, A., Newell, J., and J. Wolch. 2008. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities. (p.5) 13 De La Fuente, Carlos. “Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities to Standardizing Green Alleys in the Bureau of Engineering.” Telephone interview. 24 February. 2015; Sadeghi, Majid. “Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities to Standardizing Green Alleys in the Bureau of Sanitation.” Telephone interview. 27 February. 2015.

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1. The potential for alley transformation is enormous in Los Angeles. According to Cassidy, Newell and Wolch (2008), the city of Los Angeles has approximately 900 linear miles of alleys amounting to about 3 square miles—twice the size of New York’s Central Park.14 While alley segments are distributed across the city, both South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley contain approximately 30% of all the alleys in the city of Los Angeles respectively, and the Metro sub-region of

the city contains approximately 21% (see Figure 1).15

Yet, according to findings from audits and field observations, alleys in these regions are misused as unsanctioned dumping grounds for trash, and are in a degraded state.16 Recent Los Angeles Times media coverage focused on the illegal dumping issues and the increase in crime and trash in the city's alleys as a result of cutbacks in maintenance.17 However, in April 2015, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an executive order to direct more city resources toward street cleanups, following the success of a similar pilot project in Council District 1.18 The Bureau of Sanitation is the lead agency responsible for this Executive Directive. The Clean Streets Initiative executive order calls for a data-driven rating system to measure the cleanliness of every street in the city (a street cleanliness index), an additional “strike team” for neighborhood clean ups, an additional 5,000 trash cans, and a proposal of $9.1 million for street cleanups, contingent upon city council approval (last year the program received $5 million).19

Moreover, the vast amounts of alleys in the city of Los Angeles also constitute a large amount of asphalt, an impervious surface material, thus leading to flooding issues. According to Newell (2012), the South Los Angeles region has the second highest “flood complaint density, (reports of flooding and/or inadequate drainage),” in the city due to the aging stormwater infrastructure and lack of permeable surfaces.20 While the City of Los Angeles has worked on green street guidelines to address the vast amounts of impervious surfaces in the city, guidelines are less clear and overt for alleys.

14 Cassidy, A., Newell, J., and J. Wolch. 2008. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities. (p.5) 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. (p.7); Seymour, M., Bradbury, H., Wolch, J., and Reynolds, K.D. 2009. Resident perceptions of urban alleys and alley greening. Applied Geography. 30 (3), 380-392. 17 Bermudez, Esmeralda. "L.A. Fights Plague of Garbage in Central City Neighborhoods." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/28/local/la-me-pico-union-trash-20131029>. 18 Poston, Ben. "L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti Launches Citywide Trash Clean-up Initiative." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-garcetti-trash-20150423-story.html>. 19 Smith, Dakota. "More Trash Cans Headed to L.A. as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Launches Clean Streets Initiative." Local Governments. Los Angeles Daily News, 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20150423/more-trash-cans-headed-to-la-as-los-angeles-mayor-eric-garcetti-launches-clean-streets-initiative>. 20 Newell, J. P., et al. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure. Cities (2012). (p.11)

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Figure 1: Alley density in the city of Los Angeles, by subregion

Image Credit: J.P. Newell et al. / Cities (2012)

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2. According to the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, Watershed Protection Division, approximately 56 billion gallons of average annual urban runoff enter Los Angeles watersheds.21 Urban runoff carries pollutants, such as “metals, bacteria and trash, toxic chemicals [that] are delivered to local surface water and beaches; and for this reason, stormwater runoff from streets and the public [right-of-way] is regulated by regional, state, and federal laws and regulations.22”

Simultaneously, the ongoing four-year drought in California has increased awareness of the preciousness of alternative water resources. More specifically, stormwater and rainwater have recently been recognized by the City of Los Angeles as a valuable resource for the local water supply that can be captured and reused.23 With the recent State of California mandate by Governor Jerry Brown to decrease water usage by 25%, California cities should develop innovative ways to comply. In Los Angeles, programs, divisions, and ordinances, such as the City of Los Angeles Sanitation’s Stormwater Program, the Rainwater Harvesting Program, Watershed Protection Division, and the Low Impact Development ordinance, demonstrate foundational efforts in conserving water, managing stormwater, and improving water quality. One reason for this level of activity around watershed quality are the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) regulations in the City of Los Angeles established by the Los Angeles County Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) NPDES Permit. The Los Angeles State Resources Control Board establishes TMDL regulations as maximum amount of pollutants that are allowed to enter a particular water body in order to comply with federal water quality standards.24 Pollutants include trash, bacteria, pesticides, toxicity, nutrients, and metals. Under the MS4 NPDES Permit, the City of Los Angeles “must satisfy 22 TMDL regulations; failure to comply will result in financial penalties totaling $37,500 per day per violation.25” Examples of TMDL regulations on Los Angeles’ watersheds include a trash TMDL for the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek and a bacteria TMDL for the Los

21 City of Los Angeles Public Works Bureau of Sanitation, Watershed Protection Division. Water Quality Compliance Master Plan. Publication. Los Angeles: City of Los Angeles, May, 2009.(p.63) Web. 9 May 2015. <http://www.lastormwater.org/wp-content/files_mf/wqcmpur.pdf>.; Los Angeles watersheds include the Los Angeles River, Santa Monica Bay, Ballona Creek and Dominguez Channel. 22 Zaldivar, Enrique C., Gary Lee Moore, and Nazaria Sauceda. "City of Los Angeles Inter-Departmental Correspondence." Green Sustainable Streets Council Motion (Council File 14-0748) Rev (6-80) Form.Gen 160 (2015): n. pag. City of Los Angeles, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0748_rpt_bos_01-14-15.pdf>. 23 Sadeghi, Majid. “Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities to Standardizing Green Alleys in the Bureau of Sanitation.” Telephone interview. 27 February. 2015. 24 "New Bacteria Limits Set for LA River." City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program. City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program RSS, 14 July 2010. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.lastormwater.org/blog/2010/07/new-bacteria-limits-set-for-la-river/>. 25 Zaldivar, Enrique C., Gary Lee Moore, and Nazaria Sauceda. "City of Los Angeles Inter-Departmental Correspondence." Green Sustainable Streets Council Motion (Council File 14-0748) Rev (6-80) Form.Gen 160 (2015): n. pag. City of Los Angeles, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0748_rpt_bos_01-14-15.pdf>.

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Angeles River.26 The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation is the lead city agency responsible to implement these TMDLs requirements utilizing a green infrastructure multi-benefits approach. This approach has been endorsed and is the preferred implementation methodology by the US EPA and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.27 The City of Los Angeles is in on a path of recognizing and supporting this multi-beneficial public infrastructure and developing strategies to mitigate the enormous amount of urban runoff. In early 2015, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Felipe Fuentes' motion calling for new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements.28 Currently, the Councilmember is working with the Bureau of Sanitation and non-profit organizations like TreePeople and Los Angeles Water Keeper to draft an ordinance.29 Included in this motion is a call for the Bureau of Sanitation in conjunction with the Bureau of Street Services, Bureau of Engineering and the Department of Water and Power to develop a Stormwater Management Handbook for Public Right-of-Way projects.30 Once the ordinance is prepared, the City Council will vote on this piece of legislation that will require all public street construction to incorporate green street elements.

3. Concurrently, there is significant need for solutions that address the city’s uneven distribution of open space. While Los Angeles ranks second in parkland acres among other high-density U.S. cities (New York is number one) with 36,112 acres of parkland, the city ranks fourth in park acres per 1,000 residents.31 The high acreage of parklands in the city comes from large urban parks, such as Griffith Park. Yet, the city lacks in walkable, neighborhood parks. According to The Trust for Public Land, “large segments of Los Angeles’ 3.7 million residents are too far from a park to use one easily, conveniently or frequently.32” Moreover, The Trust for Public Land reports that the city’s park space lags

26 "New Bacteria Limits Set for LA River." City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program. City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program RSS, 14 July 2010. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.lastormwater.org/blog/2010/07/new-bacteria-limits-set-for-la-river/>. 27 Tam, Wing. Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. Email correspondence. 24 May 2015. 28 Navarro, Jonathan. "Bringing Green Streets Infrastructure to Los Angeles." Felipe Fuentes Councilmember of the Seventh District. 7th's Blog, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://www.7thdistrict.net/bring_green_streets_infrastructure_to_los_angeles>. 29 Navarro, Jonathan. "Bringing Green Streets Infrastructure to Los Angeles." Felipe Fuentes Councilmember of the Seventh District. 7th's Blog, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://www.7thdistrict.net/bring_green_streets_infrastructure_to_los_angeles>. 30 Zaldivar, Enrique C., Gary Lee Moore, and Nazaria Sauceda. "City of Los Angeles Inter-Departmental Correspondence." Green Sustainable Streets Council Motion (Council File 14-0748) Rev (6-80) Form.Gen 160 (2015): n. pag. City of Los Angeles, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0748_rpt_bos_01-14-15.pdf>. 31 Harnik, Peter, Abby Martin, and Tim O'Grady. The Trust for Public Land, Center for City Park Excellence. 2014 City Park Facts. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2014. Web. Accessed 11 May 2015. < https://www.tpl.org/sites/default/files/files_upload/2014_CityParkFacts.pdf>. 32 The Trust for Public Land. “How far to our nearest park?” Web. Accessed 28 May 2015. http://cloud.tpl.org/pubs/ccpe_Distance_from_a_Park.pdf.; Chau, Haan-Fawn. Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles: Addressing Urban Runoff and Water Supply through Low Impact Development. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2009. California Water Board. Web. 6 Aug. 2014); The Trust for Public Land ParkScore© Index. Web. Accessed 11, May 2015. < http://parkscore.tpl.org/>.

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behind the national recommendation. The National Recreation and Parks Association recommends 10 acres of park space per 1,000 resident, yet Los Angeles’ park space is 38 percent below the national recommendation with 6.2 acres of park space per 1,000 residents.33 Distinct regions of the city are worse off; park space in South Los Angeles is 96 percent below the national recommendation with 0.42 acres of park space per 1,000 residents.34 As such, South Los Angeles is defined as a “park-poor” area. On a broader level, Wolch, Wilson, and Fehrenbach (2002) find that areas with concentrated poverty have vastly lower levels of access to park resources than predominately white areas of the city of Los Angeles.35 On an overall network basis, green alleys can play a significant role in creating open, green recreation space in dense, built-out areas of the city where the creation of new, traditional 10-30 acre parks is infeasible.36

A Recent Demonstration in Los Angeles Among efforts to bring green alleys to the city of Los Angeles is The Trust for Public Land’s Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project (Avalon Project). The Avalon Project in South Los Angeles aims to retrofit nearly a mile of alleys in not just one of the most park-poor neighborhoods but also one of the most densely populated in the city (see Figure 2). After years of planning, fundraising, conducting community outreach and designing, the Avalon Project broke ground in March 2015. Additionally, the South Los Angeles Green Alley Master Plan, also written by The Trust for Public Land in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, Cal Poly Pomona Graduate Department of Landscape Architecture 606 Studio, the Council for Watershed Health, and Jefferson’s High School Green Design Academy, is in progress and expected to be released in May 2015. The Master Plan proposes five green alley networks in South Los Angeles. The Avalon Project is further discussed in Part 4: Green Alley Case Study Models as an example of a green alley project with multiple objectives. Now more than ever, it is important to understand the range and capacity of green alley projects, as diverse stakeholders embrace alleys as places to test innovative strategies to address a large scope of issues. In Los Angeles, this report is timely due to the coalescence of the Avalon Project and the South Los Angeles Green Alley Master Plan, as well an increased attention on alleys.

33 Ibid. 34 "2011 City Park Facts." The Trust for Public Land, Center for City Park Excellence (2011): n. pag. 2011. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://cloud.tpl.org/pubs/ccpe-city-park-facts-2011.pdf>. 35 Wolch, Jennifer, Wilson, John P, Fehrenback, Jed. (2005). Parks and Park Funding in Los Angeles: An Equity-Mapping Analysis. Urban Geography. 26 (1) 4-35. 36 Gejer, Melinda. “Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities to Standardizing Green Alleys in the Department of Recreation and Parks.” Telephone interview. 19 March. 2015

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Figure 2: Rendering of the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project

Image credit: SALT Landscape Architects If the barriers to implementing green alleys can be overcome, efforts like the Avalon Project could be scaled-up to the city or county level, potentially bringing substantial benefits for adjacent communities and the region. More broadly, a framework for green alley improvements is a new offering at a time when cities across the country are embracing multi-benefit green infrastructure and developing green infrastructure master plans. Cities, like Los Angeles, are moving towards policies that require all future street and alley projects to incorporate green infrastructure.37

37 Ballock, Laura. “The Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project.” Telephone interview. 20 July. 2014

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Research Question and Report Overview This research seeks to answer the following question: What are the City-level institutional challenges and opportunities to implementing green alleys in Los Angeles and other cities? To answer this question, this report is divided into five parts: Part 1: Introduction. Part 1 sets the stage for the report by outlining report objectives and the Los Angeles context. Part 2: Background. Part 2 outlines the rich and layered history of alleys, as well as contemporary uses and perceptions, as context for the literature review and the remainder of the report. Part 3: Literature Review. Part 3 offers a literature review of the academic literature, planning documents and professional manuals surrounding green alleys that discuss best practices, case studies, and research findings. The literature helps to contextualize this research within previous efforts and express the complexity of green alley influences. Part 4: Green Alley Case Study Models. Part 4 features four green alley model case studies from across the U.S. in order to help address how challenges and barriers to green alley implementation can be overcome through policy changes at the City level. Utilizing a framework derived from the literature review, the green alley models highlight examples of efforts with one or more of the following objectives: environmental, social, economic, and multiple. The models also feature a spectrum of city involvement in order to showcase the range of possibilities, along with four distinct scenarios in order to offer best practices at various levels of municipal involvement. Ultimately, the cases offer lessons for the City of Los Angeles at a pivotal time in which there is interest and involvement within many agencies in green alleys and an interest in their standardization. Part 5: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations. Part 5 focuses on Los Angeles by first outlining previous research and findings. This research is placed within this chronological timeline in order to position this current research. Part 5 also presents an analysis of the capacity for green alley implementation at the City level. Through interviews with personnel from a combination of implementing city agencies and decision-makers, this chapter presents findings on key challenges and opportunities to standardizing green alleys and recommendations specific to the City of Los Angeles. Conclusion. This report concludes with a broad conversation to inspire and support green alley efforts in other cities.

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How This Report Can Be Used This report is intended for stakeholders, decision-makers, and advocates of green alleys in cities across the U.S. As The Trust for Public Land is a U.S. national nonprofit organization, this report is designed to be transferable to other cities. Challenges and lessons learned outlined in this report are especially useful for cities interested in green alley development, while the recommendations are specific to the City of Los Angeles. Altogether, this report aims to provide research and findings to assist in creating a model program for green alleys in the City of Los Angeles In order to support the expansion of green alley development and implementation, this report offers a broad definition of green alleys, as described on page 13. A flexible definition of a green alley is important as there is a spectrum of possibilities in their development. In addition, a broad definition supports the fact that the context greatly differs by city and even within cities. One use for this report is to facilitate green alley development and implementation through The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People initiative, which focuses on collaborations with underserved, park-poor communities to ensure that everyone has parks, gardens, playgrounds, trails and other natural places within a ten-minute walk from home.38 Currently, the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project in South Los Angeles is the first green alley effort by the Trust for Public Land. As such, many cities across the U.S. can learn from the Avalon Project and replicate the project in a local context. Another use is an example of how green infrastructure can be woven into the built environment to promote climate resiliency. The Trust for Public Land’s Climate-Smart Cities Program and Green Infrastructure Program are two initiatives that are currently working to achieve climate objectives and make active transportation investments in the built environment.

38 “Parks for People, The Trust for Public Land.” The Trust for Public Land. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.

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Part 2: Background Before delving into the literature, this report first outlines the rich and layered history of alleys and discusses the current uses and perceptions of unconverted or “ungreened” alleys. Several broad urban planning and design movements have contributed to the creation of alleys, as well as their elimination, redevelopment, and reuse in the U.S. A brief historical overview of alleys in the U.S. sheds light on how values that recognize alleys as important assets have come full circle. Furthermore, analyzing alley functions over time provides insight into their full potential. Alleys are defined as narrow spaces between buildings, used as access points to back entrances, and often perceived as dangerous and underutilized spaces.39 Alleys differ from streets in that their main priority is connectivity rather than mobility.40 Furthermore, Wolch et al. (2010) claim that, “unlike city streets, alleys usually go unnamed and are ignored by city policy.41” Bain, Gray and Rodgers (2012), in their book Living Streets: Strategies for Crafting Public Space, note that alleys have a different spatial quality than streets; alleys are narrow in width and human scale.42 Collectively, alleys create more route choices in a city and thus what Southworth and Ben-Joseph (1997) refer to as a “more explorable fine-grained network.43” These inherent qualities can be seen in the variety of historical and contemporary alley functions. The alley was a common and indispensable element of the North American urban landscape.44 Communities across the U.S. that were built prior to 1950 were designed with walkable streets and destinations that were much closer to residential areas.45 The inclusion of the alley was part of this compact design. Alleys were built in large numbers; for instance, the City of Los Angeles has over 930 linear miles or 3.12 square miles of alleys, which is roughly half the size of Griffith Park.46 Alleys today are frequently associated with crime, refuse, and locations for vehicle deliveries and municipal services, though they have historically served a range of social, economic and functional purposes for a diverse array of users. For example, alleys have historically housed horse stables,

39 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.139); Carmichael, Jessica. "Revitalising Laneways in Inner City Brisbane: 2011 PIA QLD State Planning Conference." American Planning Association. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.planning.org.au%2Fdocuments%2Fitem%2F3253>. 40 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.141) 41 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p. 2874) 42 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.141) 43 Southworth and Ben-Joseph Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities (p.105) 44 Hage, Sara A. 2008. Alleys: Negotiating Identity in Traditional, Urban, and New Urban Communities. M.A. Thesis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (p. 6); Martin, Michael. 2002. The case for residential back-alleys: A North American perspective. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 17: 145-171 (page 146); Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p. 2874) 45 Shawn, Turner, Sandt Laura, Toole Jennifer, Benz Robert, and Patten Robert. FHWA University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation: Student Workbook. Rep. no. FHWA-HRT-05-133. N.p.: n.p., 2006. Print. 46 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p.2881)

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chicken coops, housing, play, and pedestrian and automobile access.47 Figure 3 visualizes the historical functions of alleys, in chronological order, in order to preface and synthesize the following background section. While alley functions have changed over time, their general form and flexibility of use have remained the same. The following section offers examples of diverse functions of alleys through historical and contemporary examples and resources. Figure 3: Time line of historical functions of alley use

Image credit: Author

Housing Alleys as spaces for building secondary dwellings have had periods of favorability. This historic use of alleys for housing is a well-researched use by James Borchert (1980) and Ellen Beasley (1996) in Washington D.C. and Galveston, Texas, respectively. Borchert and Beasley’s case study research demonstrates alleys as flexible spaces that have been adapted by select populations of people as locations for housing. In the early 19th century, alley houses were built as secondary or support structures and were oriented to the backyard of the property, on which they were located,

47 Clay, Grady. 1978. Alleys, a Hidden Resource: Being a Disquisition upon the Origins, Natural Disposition and Occurrences in the American Scene of Alleys. G. Clay and Co; 1st edition.

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as rental properties after the Civil War in Galveston, Texas.48 Often, residents living in homes facing the street hired help living in homes facing the alley, leading to their reference as service buildings, servant quarters, secondary or support structures or back houses (see Figure 4).49 Generally, alley dwellings were popular among freed slaves, transients and immigrants.50 Alley districts were prevalent and populous to the point that they had names such as Goose Level, Froggy or Foggy Bottom, Hell’s Bottom Swampoodle and Bloomfield. Yet, their overcrowded conditions made them places for tenement-like areas.51 Figure 5 demonstrates how alley dwellings were often associated with cramped conditions and lower status and, therefore, associated as more economical that street-front housing. Today, alleys are once again gaining attention as spaces for housing as smart growth and infill development strategies. For example, in Austin, Texas, the Alley Flat Initiative leads the building of secondary dwelling units, or alley flats, as a strategy to sustainability built affordable homes.52 Figure 4: Alley Dwellings in Galveston, Texas

Image Credit: http://www.uh.edu/engines/alley.jpg

48 Beasley, Ellen. 1996. The Alleys and Back Buildings of Galveston. Houston: Rice University Press. (p. 2) 49 Ibid. 50 Ibid. 51 Ibid. 52 Green Alley Demonstration Project: Regenerating Urban Infrastructure in Austin, Texas.

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Figure 5: Alley Dwellings in Washington D.C. in the 1930s

Image Credit: Library of Congress via Weta.org

Services and Businesses Like alley housing, services and businesses along alleys have also had periods of favorability. Historically, within networks of alley dwellings, communities often had homes and businesses.53 One common job held within the alley for women was a washerwoman, entailing the cleaning of articles of clothing within the alley.54 Additionally alley merchants for small stores, such as grocery stores, were housed within the alley.55 Figure 6, a plan view of Shepherd Alley in Washington D.C., illustrates the fine-grain assortment of employment locations with an alley community along with several alley dwellings, and large stables. 53 Ibid. 54 Ibid. 55 Borchert, James. 1980. Alley Life in Washington. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. (p. 181)

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Figure 6: Plan view of Shepard Alley in Washington D.C., showing a fine-grain assortment of businesses, homes and stables

Image Credit: Alley Life in Washington Family, Community, Religion and Folklife in the City 1850 – 1870, James Borchert, University of Illinois Press 1980 Today, alleys are once again utilized in commercial districts to increase the fine-grain walkability of the area and increase pedestrian traffic for economic development.56 Yet contemporary alley use for economic reasons is less associated with cleaning and other ‘back of house’ functions. According to Seymour and Trindle (2014), contemporary commercial alley use projects “aim to redesign alleys as pedestrian thoroughfares with outdoor retail, dining and/or event space, while preserving service functions required by businesses.57”

56 Seymour, Mona, and Theadora B. Trindle. "Use Dimensions of an Alley Revitalization Project." Landscape Research ahead-of-print (2014): 1-7. 57 Ibid (p.1)

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Community Commons The importance of alleys as historic and contemporary social realms for neighborhoods, serving as “semi-public commons,58” has been extensively studied (Clay, 1978; Beasley 1996; Martin 1996; Martin 2002). Historically, Beasley (1996) posits that alleys were an important space for children’s’ play and pedestrian passageways to neighbors’ homes in Galveston, Texas.59 Similarly, alley use as community commons can be seen in Figure 7, which features an alley in Washington D.C. in the mid-18th century. The residential back-alley has been at the forefront of contemporary research as fundamental elements of grid-based North American suburbs and important community commons spaces.60 Through research and interviews with residents of one such suburb, Martin (2002) concluded that back-alleys constitute an essential block-scale social activity that supports a variety of activities beyond parking, including “play-space for young children, hard-surfaced play for older children, socializing by adults, strolling, walking dogs, outdoor eating, storage and gardening.61” Martin (2002) also posits that back-alleys are important pieces of a community’s network of open space. Alleys can function as linkages between the informal backyards of a particular block, providing what Martin (2002) refers to as a form of semi-public “commons” which has no counterpart in neighborhoods without accessible rear-side open space.62 Martin’s research and interviews with residents in an alley-rich community revealed the importance of alleys as protected and interior neighborhood open spaces as well as “semi-public, intimate setting[s] for casual social interactions which may not be possible in more formal, public settings such as street-facing yards [or public streets].63”

58 Martin, Michael. The case for residential back-alleys: A North American perspective. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 17: 145-171. (p. 146) 59 Beasley, Ellen. 1996. The Alleys and Back Buildings of Galveston. Houston: Rice University Press. (p.35) 60 Ibid. 61 Ibid. 62 Ibid. 63 Martin, Michael. Endangered landscapes: residential alley transformations. APT Bulletin 31 (4) (2000): 39-45. (p. 40).

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Figure 7: Alleys as Community Commons in Washington, D.C.

Image Credit: Preserving D.C. Stables Similarly, in a contemporary study by Ford (2001), survey results of residents of four San Diego neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic classes and ethnic identities about their local alleys, revealed that common alley activities included walking, playing and socializing with neighbors.64

Service and Property Access Access has remained among the key functions of alleys. Service access is a historical and present-day function that is necessary for what Michael Martin (2002) refers to as “back-door household operations.65” Historically, coal delivery, night-soil removal,66 and other service activities that were associated with untidiness were typically relegated to the backside of buildings in alleys.67 Alleys as space for trash can be seen in Figure 8, Mullen’s Alley in New York in the late 18th century. From the service perspective, alleys were historically seen as one element of a larger transportation and utility system for the city. Grady Clay (1978), in his research of alleys in Louisville, Kentucky in his book titled Alleys as a Hidden Resource, notes that alleys are parts of a larger system in which builders perceived “the city as a mechanism which needed mass produced

64 Ford, Larry R. "Alleys and urban form: Testing the tenets of new urbanism." Urban Geography 22.3 (2001): 268-286. 65 Martin, Michael. Replacing Alleys. Landscape Journal 21 (1) (1996): 123-133 (page 131) 66 Night soil removal is the act of collecting human excrement at night from cesspools, privies, etc., and sometimes used as a fertilizer (Dictionary.com) 67 Martin, Michael. Endangered landscapes: residential alley transformations. APT Bulletin 31 (4) (2000): 39-45. (p. 39)

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services, water, police, gas, electricity” with “mass-produced access, so that streets, alleys and sidewalks were viewed as elements of a single system.68” Furthermore, in prewar, grid-based U.S residential suburbs, transportation networks often included both streets and complementary back-alleys, which together constituted a once-necessary redundancy of access.69 Martin (2002), in A Case for Residential Back-Alleys, asserts that the alley creates important access duplication in a neighborhood so that functions, such as service deliveries and pick-ups, can be spread out between the street and the alley. As density increases, having streets and alleys is all the more important.70 Figure 8: Mullen’s Alley in New York in the late 18th century

Image Credit: Riis, Jacob. “How the Other Half Lives” (1889) When the automobile became popular in the 1910s, owners converted alley stables into garages as places to store their vehicles.71 However, Grady Clay (1978) notes that with the increase in width and lengths of automobiles, owners were forced to move the storage of their car from the back of the house to the front of the house. Clay posits that this shift from the back to the front of the home also brought signs of affluence and modernity.

68 Clay, Grady. Alleys, A Hidden Resource: Being a Disquisition Upon the Origins, Natural Disposition and Occurrences in the American Scene of Alleys. 1978. G. Clay and Co; 1st edition. (p.13) 69 Martin, Michael. The case for residential back-alleys: A North American perspective. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 17: 145-171. (p. 146) 70 Ibid. 71 Hage, Sara A. 2008. Alleys: Negotiating Identity in Traditional, Urban, and New Urban Communities. M.A. Thesis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. (p.10)

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Alleys as Unsanitary, Dangerous Places Negative perceptions of alleys have been a continuous sentiment throughout history. Specifically, alleys have been historically connected with danger, fires, trash collection and poor health (Zelinka and Beattie 2003; Beasley 1996; Ford, 2001). Many social reformers and media reports beginning in the late 1800s colored alleys as grim environments and alley life as overcrowded and unsanitary (Michael, 2000; Beasley 1996). Federal housing policy officially disallowed alleys as a result of the aforementioned perceptions, as seen in the creation of the ‘Alley Dwelling Authority’ by the 1934 Federal Housing Act. According to Frankel and Goldstein (1995), the 1934 Federal Housing Act was aimed at eliminating the poor African-American alley neighborhoods, as previously mentioned, in Washington D.C.72 This policy was coupled with the national trend to convert dirt alleys to hard-paved alleys73 in an effort to improve sanitation, decrease maintenance costs, and increase efficiency in garbage removal and the overall benefits to the city’s appearance.74 Perceiving alleys as unsanitary and dangerous places remains today. Results from a Los Angeles study by Seymour et al. (2010) showed that there were significant contrasts between field-based findings and residents’ perceptions; while most alleys in Los Angeles were identified as underutilized and walkable, quiet and clean; they were often perceived as dirty and unsafe.75 Researchers noted that the differences between observations and residents’ perception might come from the audit methodology’s inability to capture night activity and other negative feelings about muggings and gang presence. Similarly safety remains an issue today. Findings from the same study, Seymour et al. (2010), from five focus groups of residents from Pacoima, Sun Valley, Hollywood, South Los Angeles and Wilmington revealed that alleys were largely unused; residents perceived alleys as “dirty and potentially dangerous, and worry about ‘stranger danger’ because they may encounter people from outside the neighborhood.76” Moreover, behavioral observations showed that alleys were infrequently used; the most prominent use of alleys was access by vehicles, followed by driving through alleys as a shortcut.77

Elimination of Alleys The elimination of alleys and alley life has been an ongoing effort. Beginning in the mid-20th century, community design in the U.S. evolved from the grid to a curvilinear pattern, thus eliminating the development of new alleys.78 With the popularization of the automobile, new

72 Frankel, Godfrey, and Goldstein, Laura. 1995. In the alleys: kids in the shadow of the Capitol. 73 Martin, Michael. Endangered landscapes: residential alley transformations. APT Bulletin 31 (4) (2000): 39-45. (page 40) 74 J.R. Crissey, “Concrete Alleys a Success in Johnstown,” American City (February 1918): 121-122 75 Seymour, Mona, et al. "Resident perceptions of urban alleys and alley greening." Applied Geography 30.3 (2010): 380-393. 76 Ibid. (p. 2) 77 Ibid. 78 Zelinka, A., & Beattie, W. 2003. How to turn alleys into allies. Planning Magazine, 69(10), 25. (p. 25)

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suburban neighborhood developments were designed to optimize vehicle traffic, and not pedestrian travel.79 The difference in street grid design can be seen in Figure 9, a diagram excerpt from Southworth and Ben-Joseph’s book Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities (1997). This shift brought also an emphasis on concentrating commercial development in large, single-use zones that were separate from residential.80 Furthermore, “trash collection moved to front curbs, utility poles were located on major thoroughfares (and eventually placed underground), and garages became focal points at the front of houses.81” Figure 9: Evolution of street patterns since 1900 showing gradual adaptation to the car

Image Credit: Southworth and Ben-Joseph (1997) Another form of alley elimination can be seen in the municipal neglect and legal abandonment of alleys as public property.82 Martin (2000) refers to this scenario as when alleys are “demapped” or “vacated… deeded over to consolidated or piecemeal private ownership.83” According to Martin (2000), yet another form of alley demapping comes in the form of urban renewal schemes in the 1960s, which entire neighborhoods, including streets and alleys, were redeveloped into “superblocks.84” As alleys became less prominent urban features, they also became less prominent in public consciousness. Moreover, their association with crime and dirt became of singular focus. Yet, as Section I demonstrates, alleys have historically and contemporarily served a multitude of purposes. Contemporary stakeholders are once again acknowledging the flexibility and significance of alleys. Alleys are increasingly undergoing transformation into spaces that allow for environmental, economic and social benefits. The next section defines and centers on green alleys, which is the focus of this report.

79 Shawn, Turner, Sandt Laura, Toole Jennifer, Benz Robert, and Patten Robert. FHWA University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation: Student Workbook. Rep. no. FHWA-HRT-05-133. N.p.: n.p., 2006. Print. 80 Ibid. 81 Zelinka, A., & Beattie, W. 2003. How to turn alleys into allies. Planning Magazine, 69(10), 25. (p. 25) 82 Martin, Michael. Endangered landscapes: residential alley transformations. APT Bulletin 31 (4) (2000): 39-45. (p. 39 - 40) 83 Ibid. 84 Ibid. (p. 40)

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Part 3. Literature Review Introduction As Part 2 revealed, efforts to omit alleys in new developments through various demapping strategies were prevalent throughout the 20th century. This rejection is often connected with the alley’s associated historical uses, such as poor living conditions, service access, and waste, which have generally created negative connotations. While some municipal efforts have gone towards eliminating alleys, cities are now reconsidering the alley as an important asset to fulfill a broad range of sustainability objectives.85 Among efforts to transform alleys is the development of “green” alleys.86 The purpose of Part 3 is to present a review of academic literature, planning documents and professional manuals surrounding green alleys in order to situate this report in the context of other research efforts. Additionally, this literature review aims to contribute to an expanded definition of green alleys. To do so, Part 3 is divided into two distinct sections:

• Section I: The Rebirth of Alleys presents a review of the literature on the rebirth of alleys and the influences on green alley development. As Part 2 revealed, alleys have served many functions over time for a diverse array of users. The intention of this first section is to present the literature on the diverse influences on alley revitalization. Outlining the layered history and contemporary broad influences allows for a broad understanding of green alleys multi-purpose potential. This section therefore seeks to better understand the re-emergence of the alley as an ecological, social and economic space.

• Section II: Green Alleys, a New Opportunity focuses on key sub-topics within the green

alley literature. This section outlines the opportunities and challenges presented in the literature and discuss the variability in green alley definitions, as well as the limited scope in existing efforts. For the purposes of this research, this report accepts Wolch et al.’s definition of green alleys as “‘green infrastructure' [which simultaneously offers] multiple ecological, economic, and social benefits including urban walkability and mobility, play space and green cover, biodiversity conservation, and urban runoff infiltration.87”

It is important to note that literature and resources on green alleys are limited but increasingly growing. As such, this literature review draws from a diverse array of resources in landscape architecture, environmental planning, and contemporary professional manuals that discuss best practices, case studies, and research findings.

85 The City of St. Albert Planning & Development. “Smart Growth Brief.” July 2009 (p.1) 86 Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. 2008 Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California. Print. 87 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p. 2874)

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Section I: The Rebirth of Alleys Alleys are described in academic literature as “dorsal landscapes” (Martin 1996), “liminal spaces” (Wolch et al 2010), and “hidden resource[s]” (Clay, 1976). Overall, alleys are ambiguous and often carry a negative connotation. Why is the alley re-emerging as an important component of the urban landscape? Understanding the forces driving green alley revitalization helps to frame their potential. Within the literature, there are several discussions on the rebirth of alleys. On a broad level, a confluence of issues, such as sprawling development patterns, scarcity of land, and increasing populations, have led to efforts to strategically develop land in cities.88 Sustainable development, coupled with what Wolch et al. (2010) refer to as “mounting pressures to make cities healthier, protect ecosystem services, and mitigate climate change,89” is encouraging many planning-related movements to begin to look at previously neglected and underutilized spaces. The alley is one such space. In fact, Newell et al. (2012) posit that green alley development “can be seen as a manifestation of a broader movement among city agencies, planners, and community groups to expand green urban infrastructure and promote sustainability.90” With the rebirth of alleys and the emergence of green alleys, there is increasing recognition that alleys can once again provide space for many different purposes. The following literature review accepts Newell et al.’s claim that there is a host of influences on green alley development. Section I therefore seeks to better understand the re-emergence of the alley as an ecological, social and economic space.

Many Shades of Green First it is important to unpack the definition of ‘green.’ The traditional notion of ‘green’ is often linked with the environment and often understood to be synonymous with sustainable. As sustainability has expanded its definition in recent years, so has the concept of ‘green.’ A hallmark of the expanded definition of sustainability is the interrelated nature of humans and the natural and built environment. Today, sustainability is an objective that has been woven into all planning initiatives. An important planning initiative to highlight in the context of green alleys is public health. In recent years, there has been wide recognition of the link between health and city form.91 Simultaneously, congestion and pollution have increased in cities.92 In response, both urban planners and those in public health find common ground in advocating for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, more compact and

88 Girling Cynthia and Ronald Kellett. “Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community.” Island Press. 2005. Print (p.1) 89 Wolch et al. (2010) (p.2891) 90 Newell, J. P., et al. 2012. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure. Cities.(p.1) 91 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p. 102) 92 Blanco, H., Alberti, M., Forsyth, A., Krizek, K. J., Rodriguez, D. A., Talen, E., et al. (2009). Hot, congested, crowded and diverse: Emerging research agendas in planning. Progress in Planning, 71(4), 153–205.

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transit-friendly neighborhoods, and accessible urban green space.93 Underlying these sources of common ground is the acceptance of the interconnected relationship between infrastructure and environmental and public health. The correlation between walkable neighborhoods and increased activity levels is a well-researched topic, as is the benefits of green space in cities. In fact, park poverty and income poverty are frequently listed as demographic influences on health.94 The physical activity movement stems from the public health’s recent involvement in supporting sustainable development through strategies such as promoting “healthy cities.95” The notion of a healthy city is linked with research that points to how daily physical activity is strongly correlated with the level of walkability and pedestrian orientation in a neighborhood.96 As such, the physical activity movement advocates for the creation of good walking environments and arrangement of land uses as ways to encourage people to walk as a primary mode.97 This is seen as one solution to combat sedentary lifestyles, low physical activity levels, and associated contributions to high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.98 Public health and urban planning professionals are also tackling the epidemic of obesity by advocating for “active living99” and urban green space.100 Notable strategies focus on programs to make cities more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly and increasing access to urban green space. One sub- focus has been in communities that lack park space or access to other natural environments for recreation purposes. In fact, a subset of literature focuses on the correlation between park poverty and income poverty and their influences on health.101 Sustainable planning through infill development, rehabilitating aging infrastructure and promoting active transportation, all have positive implications on public health. Seymour, Wolch, Reynolds, and Bardbury (2010) posit that alleys have emerged with the “potential to support alternative modes of transportation, increase physical activity levels, facilitate neighborhood social life,

93 Wolch, Jennifer R., Jason Byrne, and Joshua P. Newell. "Urban Green Space, Public Health, and Environmental Justice: The Challenge of Making Cities ‘just Green Enough’." Landscape and Urban Planning 125 (2014): 234-44. ScienceDirect, 2 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://urbansustainability.snre.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Making-cities-just-green-enough.pdf>. (p.239) 94 Dahmann, N.,Wolch, J., Joassart-Marcelli, P., Reynolds, K., & Jerrett,M.(2010).The active city? Disparities in provision of urban public recreation resources. Health and Place, 16(3), 431–445. 95 Wheeler, S. M. (2004). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable, and Ecological Communities. London: Routledge. (p. 20) 96 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p. 102) 97 Ibid. 98 King, Abby C., et al. "Aging in neighborhoods differing in walkability and income: associations with physical activity and obesity in older adults." Social Science & Medicine 73.10 (2011): 1525-1533.; De Jesus, Maria, et al. "Associations between perceived social environment and neighborhood safety: Health implications." Health & place 16.5 (2010): 1007-1013. 99 Wheeler, S. M. (2004). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable, and Ecological Communities. London: Routledge. (p. 20) 100 Wolch, Jennifer R., Jason Byrne, and Joshua P. Newell. "Urban Green Space, Public Health, and Environmental Justice: The Challenge of Making Cities ‘just Green Enough’." Landscape and Urban Planning 125 (2014): 234-44. ScienceDirect, 2 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://urbansustainability.snre.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Making-cities-just-green-enough.pdf>. 101 Dahmann, N.,Wolch, J., Joassart-Marcelli, P., Reynolds, K., & Jerrett,M.(2010).The active city? Disparities in provision of urban public recreation resources. Health and Place, 16(3), 431–445.

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manage urban runoff, and recharge groundwater.102” The following section seeks to further the notion that alleys are part of an interconnect system.

The Alley as an Element of Many Systems Through the lens of sustainability and public health, the following section highlights alleys as an element of many systems that coexist in a city. The notion of the city as a living system, or the ecological city, is well understood in the literature. The emergence of foundational principles of landscape architecture and ecology in land-use planning are helping to drive a shift in conceiving of the urban environment as a system.103 Dramstad, W. Olson, J.D and Forman, R.T (1997) describe this theoretical underpinning as influencing integrative designs and plans, which link “ecology and culture, land and people, nature and humans.104” The green alley can be placed in the context of the integrative planning paradigm, which simultaneously analyzes the “social, institutional, designed, built, and biophysical components of urban ecosystems.105” The integrative paradigm is a key tenet of perceiving the alley as a resource to fulfill multiple sustainability objectives. The increasing recognition of the linkages between the environment, people, and the economy is what Pincetl and Gearin (2005) refer to as an “ecosystematic understanding of the urban condition through analyzing sites at various spatial scales.106” In fact, Wolch et al. (2010) claim that the ecosystematic connections between urban theory and public health are helping to drive the re-emergence of the alley.107 As a ubiquitous open and underutilized public space, the alley is part of several systems: the open space system, the transportation system and the ecological system.

Open Space System Open space is defined as “land that is undeveloped (has no buildings or other built structures) and is accessible to the public.108” Traditional notions of open space are equated with large, distinct swaths of land. However, recently, this definition has expanded to include smaller-scale spaces that can be woven into the built environment. Notably, streets and alleys have been acknowledged in the literature and the planning profession as important public space resources (Bain, Gray and Rodgers, 2012) (Gehl, 1987).

102 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p.380) 103 Dramstad, Wenche, Olson, James D., Forman, Richard T.T. (1997). Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning. (p.11) 104 Ibid, 105 Childers et al. Advancing urban sustainability theory and action: Challenges and opportunities. Web. Accessed 11 May 2015. http://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2014/nrs_2014_childers_001.pdf. Landscape and Urban Planning 125 (2014) 320–328 106 Dramstad, Wenche, Olson, James D., Forman, Richard T.T. (1996). Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning. (p.11) 107 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. 108 "What Is Open Space | Green Space? | Urban Environmental Program in New England." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/openspace.html>.

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In fact, Martin (2002) posits that a neighborhood or city’s network of streets and alleys makes up a system-wide network of open space; when improved with sustainability goals in mind, cities have the potential to create networks of public or green space within alleys.109 One reason for the attention on alleys as a component of the open space system is decreasing open space. Underutilized spaces, such as alleys, are increasingly seen as opportunities to achieve multiple objectives. Looking to the alley as a component of a system of public open space to fulfill a wide range of social, environmental and economic objectives is requiring a shift in perception of the urban landscape and its components. Pincetl and Gearin (2005) point to this shift in “The Reinvention of Public Green Space,” and posit that parks and green public open spaces in the urban fabric are increasingly gaining ecological, social and economic importance. One key tenet of landscape ecology is the blurring of the dichotomy between cities and the natural realm. More specifically, the practice seeks to re-envision cities to “invite natural systems back into urban areas.110” Through this lens, the impervious surface and materials often placed in alleys can be seen as opportunities to reintroduce landscape and natural drainage through the lens of ecological urbanism and biophilic design.111 The biophilic city and landscape urbanism paradigms are leading the way in reconceiving and expanding urban, public spaces, as well as lessening the separation between nature and the city. Instead of large, city-block parcels of green space, these paradigms seek to weave nature into the city in a systematic and integrated way. These approaches seek to blur the traditional model of park space design in which there is a separation of work and leisure and green space and in the city. Alleys are part of the open space system in that they are publically owned and managed spaces. Like traditional parks, alleys can provide space for recreation, exercise and green landscaping. While traditional models of parks and recreation have been conceived as separate and formalized spaces, Pincetl and Gearin (2005) posit that parks and green public open space are again undergoing a re-evaluation of their contribution to sustainability.112 Amidst this shift, researchers call for the opportunity to think beyond park spaces, defined as designed and programmed public areas of the city, and more as “part of the greening potential of cities that can offer public and environmental benefits.113” Looking beyond the traditional park space allows for additional opportunities to capitalize on open space greening. 114 If seen as a network of open space, alleys have an enormous capacity to weave multiple benefits throughout cities. This concept is closely related to the landscape ecology 109 Martin, Michael. The case for residential back-alleys: A North American perspective. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 17 (2002): 145-171 110 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.40) 111 Pincetl, Stephanie, and Elizabeth Gearin. "The reinvention of public green space." Urban geography 26.5 (2005): 365-384. 112 Ibid. 113 Ibid. 114 Newell, J. P., et al. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure? J. Cities (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004.

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principle of green ecological networks. Green ecological networks are open spaces that can serve corridor and connectivity purposes while playing multiple roles. According to Girling and Kellet (2005), urban green networks includes spaces at many scales: parkways, green streets, parks, school grounds, remnant natural areas, bikeways, drainage corridors and utility drainage corridors that serve environmental as well as human purposes.115 Like green alleys, greenways are linear elements within a network of land that have the capability to service multiple purposes, such as “ecological, recreational, cultural, aesthetic, or other purposes compatible with the concept of sustainable land use.116”

Transportation System The transportation system can be simply defined as a system for moving persons or goods.117 Common transportation systems include highways and railways of the ground transportation system and planes of the air travel system. Each transportation system operates within a larger economic, social and physical environment, generating a range of external effects, including mobility, access, congestion and pollution.118 Martin (2002) posits that system-wide, streets and alleys form a network of access for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Altogether, alleys create more route choices and thus a more explorable fine-grained network.119 Martin refers to the provision of alleys as complementary to streets; “access duplication” enhances both the range of resident choices as well as the diversity of social settings available for residents.120 Recently, transportation and land use policies have shifted to emphasize the amount and quality of the pedestrian environment.121 Part of this shift has been the recognition of walking as a travel mode among traditional modes, including driving, public transit and cycling.122 This shift is associated with several overlapping efforts, including alternative transportation, sustainable transportation, complete streets and living streets. Underlying these overlapping efforts is the concept of multimodal streetscape design and the idea that a street can be place to linger and interact.123 For example, the “Complete Street” model seeks to reconfigure streets need to accommodate all modes of transportation safely and in a balanced manner through policy and street design.124 The “Living Streets” movement builds off of Complete 115 Girling Cynthia and Ronald Kellett. “Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community.” Island Press. 2005. Print (p.68) 116 Ahern, Jack. "Greenways as a planning strategy." Landscape and urban planning 33.1 (1995): 131-155.(p.134) 117 Boyce, David. Urban Travel. Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS). Accessed 31 May 2015. http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c05/e6-40-02.pdf. 118 Ibid. 119 Southworth, Michael, and Eran Ben-Joseph. 1997. Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities. New York: McGraw-Hill. Print. (p. 105) 120 Martin, Michael. 2002. The case for residential back-alleys: A North American perspective. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 17: 145-171. (p. 145) 121 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p. 89) 122 Ibid. 123 Ibid. (p. xiii) 124 Ibid.

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Streets to include the notion that the public right-of-way is an opportunity for multi-functional purposes. Instead of mobility as the only function of streets, this movement has helped to shift the paradigm of the single-purpose traffic function of a street to a multi-use, spatial standpoint.125 One criticism in the literature of integrating functions in infrastructure is the issue of use competition.126 Similarly, in green alley projects, maintaining ingress and egress is cited as a potential challenge.127 On the land use side, efforts have emerged to support a transportation system that prioritizes pedestrians. Specifically, efforts focus on strengthening the connection between land use and transportation. The smart growth movement is a notable example of a long-term sustainable transportation strategy that seeks to “promote mixed-use, dense urban environments that support alternative transportation use and positive impacts on the environment.” Cited mechanisms to implement smart growth principles include strategies to preserve open space, limit the outward expansion of cities, promote infill development, and redesign communities.128

An additional strategy employed is the creation of “walkable” environments, which are designed to “foster non-motorized travel (walking and bicycling) over heavy use of private autos, with multiple purported benefits of reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, and fuel consumption while increasing physical activity, social interaction, and community safety and well-being.129” One way that cities are creating walkable streets is by increasing density through infill-development in order to curb urban sprawl, which was previously highlighted in the built environment section.130 Another strategy is to mix land uses through creating mixed-use buildings and allowing for secondary dwelling units.131 It is important to note there is several criticisms to the notion that altering the built environment results in a change in travel behavior. Specifically, the assumption that urban layout has a greater effect on behavior than nonphysical factors is a form of environmental or physical determinism (Franck, 1984; Lawhon, 2009). Creating dense, sustainable communities requires bringing amenities close to where we live and work. Along with developing mixed-use, dense urban environments, is the notion of maximizing the functions of existing urban transportation infrastructure. Yet, urban transportation infrastructure has traditionally been conceived as purely utilitarian and often for defined or single purposes. Efforts within transportation and environmental disciplines have helped to expand the notion that infrastructure can serve many purposes, including green, social or economic components. Examples of efforts in this shift include green streets, infrastructural urbanism and the reclamation of the public right-of-way. 125 Ibid. 126 Ibid.; Cassidy, A., Newell, J., and J. Wolch. 2008. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities. 127 Cassidy, A., Newell, J., and J. Wolch. 2008. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities. 128 Wheeler, S. M. (2004). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable, and Ecological Communities. London: Routledge. (p.19) 129 Shay, Elizabeth, Spoon, Steven and Asad J. Khattak. (2003) Walking and Walkability. California Transportation Program 130 Smart Growth Brief: Back Lanes (2009). The City of St Albert Planning & Development (pages 3-4) 131 Wheeler, S. M. (2004). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable, and Ecological Communities. London: Routledge. (p.148)

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Rather than conceiving of the public right-of-way, such as a street or alley, as a having a single-purpose traffic function, street design has recently moved towards thinking about these spaces as multi-functional public spaces.132 Green streets have emerged from this paradigm to shift the balance of street function from efficient vehicular mobility to sustainable green infrastructure and features, such as bioswales, catch basins and permeable paving. 133 Similarly, the reclamation of the public right-of-way has emerged as another approach to improve the pedestrian experience within the transportation system by adapting excess public rights-of-way as public space.134 Examples of these transformations include parklet and pedestrian plaza programs. These efforts seek to repurpose excess public rights-of-way, such as two to three parking spaces and underutilized roadway, into pedestrian spaces.135 In order to encourage pedestrian use, these spaces often have tables and chairs, benches, planters, landscaping or bike racks. Green alleys directly draw from these movements and expand the opportunities for improvement to the public right-of-way to the alley as important transportation elements. While alleys exist as inherently part of the transportation system, transportation planning goals and priorities have shifted and expanded so that alleys can play an important role in fulfilling a wide array of sustainable transportation goals. Alleys are adept to serve an important role in smart growth infill development efforts to narrow lots and allow density and cohesive building frontages in that the provision of alleys allows rear vehicular access instead of driveway access from the frontage street.136

Ecological System The ecological system is generally defined as “the interaction of organisms and environment which include other organisms.137” Ecological planning and design seek to “manage change in the landscape so that human actions are more in tune with natural processes.138” Ecological planning provides a theoretical lens and physical understanding of the interconnected nature of the physical and social world.139 Further, ecological planning has given way to many sub-disciplines and approaches to sustainable planning that seeks to balance ecological concerns with human actions.140 Green alleys have emerged from the ecological approach to sustainably balance natural and human processes. Specifically, a recent paradigm shift has brought an attention to the environmental and ecological opportunities in the public right-of-way.141 Until recently, natural

132 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.1) 133 Ibid. 134 Ibid. (p.10) 135 Ibid. (p.17) 136 The City of St. Albert Planning & Development. “Smart Growth Brief.” July 2009. 137 McHarg, Ian. An ecological method for landscape architecture. 1969. 138 Ibid. 139 Ibid. 140 Ibid. 141 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.39)

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systems were not considered to be functions requiring space in the street; stormwater was directed to curbs, drains, and pipes.142 According to Bain, Gray and Rodgers (2013), the infrastructure of drainage has historically been below ground, and landscaping has been seen an aesthetic asset and less realized for ecological benefit.143 However, ecological approaches to engineering filter and infiltrate stormwater at the site, among other approaches, instead of directing stormwater offsite.144 Green infrastructure is an increasingly popular element of sustainable planning that is discussed in the literature to have social, economic and environmental benefits. It is a broad term for strategies that weave development and nature through sustainable methods. Benedict and McMahon (1947), argue that green infrastructure provides “conservation, restoration, and maintenance of functioning natural systems [which] not only protects ecosystem values and functions, but also provides diverse recreational, social, and economic benefits to people.145” However, the literature presents a complexity in the discussion of the definition of green infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines green infrastructure as composed of “natural hydrologic features to manage water and provide environmental and community benefits.146” However, green infrastructure can be more encompassing; it is often used to mitigate issues related to “water management purposes, air pollution, urban heat island effects, wildlife conservation and recreational needs.147” More broadly, Newell et al. (2012), denote that the core values of green infrastructure include “connectivity, multifunctionality and ‘green.’148” Despite the range in definitions in the literature, core objectives of green infrastructure seek to weave ecological, economic and social benefits into the urban landscape.149 Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) are a key component to green infrastructure. Common BMPs for the public right-of-way include swales, rain gardens and other elements that capture, infiltrate or transpire water. Green Streets, as previously mentioned, are a key example of how green infrastructure is implemented. Instead of serving a pure traffic function, green streets serve as resources for conveying and infiltrating stormwater, rather than taking away runoff in drains and below-grade storm sewer pipes.150 When implemented in the public right-of-way, stormwater BMPs, and green infrastructure altogether, activate the built environment by connecting

142 Ibid. 143 Ibid. 144 Environmental Protection Agency. Green Infrastructure. <http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_what.cfm.> Web. Accessed 20 November 2014. 145 Benedict, M. A. and McMahon, E. T. (2006) Green Infrastructure: Linking landscapes and Communities, Washington, Island Press. 146 Environmental Protection Agency. Green Infrastructure. <http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_what.cfm.> Web. Accessed 20 November 2014. 147 Chau, Haan-Fawn. Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles: Addressing Urban Runoff and Water Supply Through Low Impact Development. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2009. California Water Board. Web. 6 Aug. 2014). 148 Newell, J. P., et al. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure? J. Cities (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004. 149 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p. 2874) 150 Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.39)

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many systems, at multiple scales.151 The systems cross multiple political boundaries and create benefits at a regional scale.152 When thought of as a network of open green space for people, green alleys can easily fall under the umbrella of green infrastructure.153 Another specific application of green infrastructure to the built environment can be seen in the infrastructural urbanism movement. This effort repurposes remnant, neglected or underutilized infrastructure, such as bridges, railroads, and freeway underpasses to reconnect the interdependent nature of infrastructure and urban development through design. According to Lewin and Goodman (2013), rehabilitating the older built fabric of the city, such as the aging infrastructure of alleys, can have multiple benefits to improve human and environmental health at the city level.154 Moreover, economic and environmental benefits are often associated with adaptive reuse of infrastructure due to the savings in cost and materials of forgoing demolition and new development. Wolch, Byrne and Newell (2014) posit that a range of underutilized infrastructure, including ““back alleys… urban streets, abandoned transport or utility corridors, and remediated brownfields” are options for adaptation and revitalization.155 Alleys are part of the ecological system in that they are traditionally the capillaries for drainage. As infrastructure that has been conceived in terms of access and drainage, alleys are inherently a part of the ecological system of cities. Furthermore, alleys can be conveyed as a network of conveyances for water quality, water supply, flood management, recreation, open space and greenway.156 As the next section demonstrates, alleys can be used for a range of social, economic and environmental goals.

Section II: Green Alleys, a New and Burgeoning Opportunity As the previous section revealed, there is a complex set of aspects influencing green alley development. Altogether, cities are looking to alleys as flexible, open spaces to fulfill a range of objectives, including but not limited to, social, economic and environmental. However, as a recent effort that is beginning to gain popularity, there are limited resources on developing and implementing green alleys. While alleys have been key components of the streetscape system in cities since the 19th century, they have generally been ignored, underutilized and understudied.157

151 Benedict, M. A. and McMahon, E. T. (2006) Green Infrastructure: Linking landscapes and Communities, Washington, Island Press. 152 Ibid. 153 Girling Cynthia and Ronald Kellett. “Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community.” Island Press. 2005. Print (p.59) 154 Girling Cynthia and Ronald Kellett. “Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community.” Island Press. 2005. Print (p.59) 155 Wolch, Jennifer R., Jason Byrne, and Joshua P. Newell. "Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’." Landscape and Urban Planning 125 (2014): 234-244. (p. 239) 156 Tam, Wing. Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. Email correspondence. 24 May 2015 157 Clay, Grady. 1978. Alleys, A Hidden Resource: Being a Disquisition Upon the Origins, Natural Disposition and Occurrences in the American Scene of Alleys. G. Clay and Co; 1st edition.

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While service access remains an important function of alleys, Seymour, Wolch, Reynolds & Bradbury (2010) identify that many alleys in Los Angeles are poorly drained, poorly lit, overgrown, and covered in degraded and uneven paving, which renders their functionality mute and even makes them a target for illegal dumping. As unused space, the literature describes the opportunities available in alleys. The following section presents opportunities, challenges, and criticisms of green alleys. Additionally, this section highlights the variability in the definition of a green alley and the limited scope in current green alley efforts.

Opportunities Transforming alleys into green alleys provides opportunities to convert spaces with both psychological and physical issues into assets. Alleys are present and numerous in many cities and represent a permanent element of the urban form. Investing in the enhancement of an existing space is both environmentally sustainable and cost-effective. Alleys can provide space for many different needs. While alleys typically function as service and utility corridors, they can also serve a wider array of functions. When transformed into green alleys, they can provide opportunities for improving water quality and facilitating urban runoff management through infiltration (Bain, Gray and Rodgers, 2013; Newell et al., 2012; Wolch et al., 2010). Revitalized alleys can also support social activity and provide community space, as well as increase recreational opportunities in park-poor neighborhoods (Bain, Gray and Rodgers, 2013; Wolch et al. 2008). Alleys can also provide additional space for commerce or entertainment activities (Bain, Gray and Rodgers, 2013; Wolch et al. 2010). When alleys are transformed into usable social spaces that are safe, Newell et al. (2012) posit that visibility and use of previously feared spaces are increased. Some researchers cite an increase in land values and business associated with improvements to the public realm, like alley revitalization. Green alleys can also promote active transportation and decrease short car trips by safely and attractively connecting people to destinations (Wolch et al. 2008). Lastly, green alleys can play a part in supporting climate change mitigation in cities by addressing flooding in alleys (Wolch et al. 2010).

Challenges The aforementioned opportunities do not come without challenges. The literature cites several challenges that come when transforming a narrow, car-oriented space to a place for people and expanded functions. Several researchers cite safety as a key issue, as an alley is a narrow space that often does not have the same transparency or ‘eyes on the street’ as streets (Wolch et al. 2008). In addition, Wolch et al. (2008) posit that there are three challenges to alley conversion: “ensuring current uses of ingress and egress will not be jeopardized, providing funding for project design, implementation and maintenance [and] changing perceptions of alleys as unsafe, dirty places.” In addition, liability and collaboration across disciplines are cited as a concern due to the new or non-standard nature

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of many green alley elements.158 Lastly, maintenance of green alleys remains the most cited concern among researchers (Cassidy, Newell and Wolch, 2008; Attarian, 2010).

Variability in definition among project and program literature Different interest groups define green alleys based on objectives and qualities they seek to emphasize.159 For example, in the City of Chicago’s “Green Alley Handbook” the City describes green alleys as a way to “showcase innovative environmental technologies to help manage stormwater, reduce heat in urban areas, promote recycling and conserve energy.160” The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation’s report, “Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines Standards (1st edition),” slightly builds off of this environmentally-focused definition by describing green alleys as having potential as open space amenities and locations for “infrastructure changes, such as permeable paving and bioswales, in order to reduce urban runoff, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality in streams, rivers and coastal waters.161” However, in project literature for the City of Austin’s Green Alley Demonstration Project, authors describe Austin’s network of alleys as “an integrated sustainable system of inhabited infrastructure.162” The City of Austin views alleys as more than locations to implement environmental components, but rather “spatial assets” that not only provides vehicular access to new housing but also serve as community recreation space and green infrastructure.163 The variability in the definition of green alleys can be further realized by looking at the city departments (in which the projects and programs are housed) or the lead entities driving the alley greening efforts. For instance, the City of Chicago’s Green Alley Program is located in the Department of Transportation as a part of their green infrastructure efforts, such as using recycled construction materials and permeable pavements164 while the City of Austin’s Green Alley Initiative and Demonstration Project is housed in their Office of Sustainability. In Seattle, green alley projects are facilitated by the non-profit organization, the Alley Network Project. Wolch et. al (2010) define green alleys as “ ‘green infrastructure' [which simultaneously offers] multiple ecological, economic, and social benefits including urban walkability and mobility, play space and green cover, biodiversity conservation, and urban runoff infiltration,” which is the definition used for the remainder of this document.

158 Cassidy, Arly, Josh Newell, and Jennifer Wolch. Transforming alleys into green infrastructure for Los Angeles. USC Center for Sustainable Cities, 2008. 159 Newell, J. P., et al. 2012. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure. Cities. 160 The Chicago Green Alley Handbook: An Action Guide to Create a Greener, Environmentally Sustainable Chicago. Rep. Chicago Department of Transportation, 2010. City of Chicago, Department of Transportation. Web. 20 June 2014. (p.1) 161 Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines Standards (1st edition) (p. 3-2) 162 Green Alley Demonstration Project: Regenerating Urban Infrastructure in Austin, Texas (p. 12) 163 Ibid. 164 “Green Alleys.” City Service: Streets, Alleyways and Sidewalks. City of Chicago, Department of Transportation, n.d. Web. 10 July 2014.

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Limited Scope of Existing Green Alley Projects and Programs While there is a range of objectives for developing green alleys, Newell et al. (2012) claim that in the U.S, alley greening programs are “unquestionably oriented toward stormwater management programs.” This finding was derived from an evaluation of green alley programs in Newell et al. (2012) Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure? Out of the eight selected green alley programs in seven U.S. cities, Newell et al. found that the majority was oriented towards stormwater management goals. In fact, Los Angeles’ green alley program, was identified as having the broadest objectives among the eight programs. The authors assert that a more robust commitment to sustainability through the adoption of goals related to environmental protection, economic development and social equity could be realized in the context of green alley efforts.165 One possible explanation for the narrow focus in stormwater management is the “availability of stormwater management funding and of existing urban governance structures, which run counter to the kind of interdepartmental collaboration and public-private coalitions needed for integrative green alley projects.166” Narrowly focused funding and a lack of collaboration across city departments have set the stage for a tendency for single-function green alley projects.

Further Research: The Impact of Green Alleys Green alleys have a range of benefits that attract various stakeholders and city departments to undertake green alley projects and programs. As green alley projects and programs mature, it will be imperative to measure their performance and observe their impact upon surrounding areas and communities. As uses and perceptions of alleys are fairly engrained, further research could additionally study how revitalized green alleys changes users’ relationship with alleys and patterns of use.

Conclusion The literature shows that there is variability in green alley definition and a tendency to have a limited scope of green alley objectives, especially towards stormwater management. Uses and perceptions of alleys show that there are significant barriers to reusing alleys, such as concerns around safety, crime and blight. Ultimately, this research seeks to broaden the scope of green alley possibilities to include a holistic definition that can be adapted depending on the context and objectives.

165 Newell, Joshua P., Seymour, Mona, Yee,Thomas, Renteria, Jennifer, Travis Longcore, Wolch, Jennifer R., and Shishkovsky, Anne. “Green Alley Programs: Planning for a Sustainable Urban Infrastructure?” Elsevier (2012): n. pag. Web. 1 July 2014. <http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004> (p. 2) 166 Newell, Joshua P., Seymour, Mona, Yee,Thomas, Renteria, Jennifer, Travis Longcore, Wolch, Jennifer R., and Shishkovsky, Anne. “Green Alley Programs: Planning for a Sustainable Urban Infrastructure?” Elsevier (2012): n. pag. Web. 1 July 2014. <http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004> (p. 2)

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Overall, the literature points to a wide range of influences on the development of green alleys. Acknowledging the diverse contributions helps in framing the alley as an asset in fulfilling a variety of sustainability goals. Doing so sheds light on the complexity of influences on green alleys and as a foundation for contextualizing green alleys for the remainder of the report. The case models in the following section, Part 4, demonstrate the ways in which these contributions are guiding the re-use and improvement of alleys into green alleys using diverse values and objectives. This report builds off of Newell et al.’s (20414) observation that green alley projects and programs tend to be for a single purpose. By offering a variety of green alley examples and an expanded definition, this report seeks to help cities and stakeholders recognize green alley possibilities, understand the benefits and implement policies to encourage their growth. The objective of the remainder of this report is to contribute to the growing resources on green alley development through offering transferable best practices.

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Part 4. Green Alley Case Study Models Part 4 presents four green alley case study models that have been implemented across the U.S.: (1) Chicago’s Green Alley Program; (2) Seattle’s Alley Network Project; (3) Hollywood’s East Cahuenga Corridor Alley Revitalization Project and; (4) South Los Angeles’ Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project. These cases offer lessons for the City of Los Angeles at a pivotal time in which there is interest in green alleys, collaborative city agency involvement and an interest in standardizing green alley development. The case studies were selected based on a number of factors, including their:

v Status as implemented efforts v Relevance for Los Angeles v Ability to highlight notable features in at least one of the following: environmental focus,

economic focus, social focus and multiple focus (see Figure 11) The four cases individually contribute to lessons in standardizing green alleys and collectively create a spectrum of green alley possibilities, outcomes, and city involvement. For example, in Chicago’s case, the green alley program is housed within the Chicago Department of Transportation, and in Seattle, a non-profit organization navigated the city’s regulations on alley use and events on behalf of citizens. In Hollywood’s case, the property owners’ alliance partnered with city officials to implement the green alley project, while in South Los Angeles, a non-profit organization partnered with the Bureau of Sanitation and residents to implement a green alley network pilot project. Collectively, the four models offer examples of diverse green alley efforts that enable a compare and contrast of standardization tools. A categorization for conceptualizing green alley outcomes, shown in Figure 10, was derived from the literature review and used as a tool for selecting and presenting green alley case study models. Figure 11 demonstrates that green alleys can have social, economic or environmental goals and features, and yet still all be considered a green alley. A broad definition of the notion of ‘green’ is important to retain for the remainder of this report. The categorization is also used as a conceptual organization tool for organizing and presenting best practices in standardizing green alleys in Los Angeles and other cities.

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Figure 10: Green Alley Categorization

Image Credit: Lindt, Callahan, DeShazo (2015) Green alleys with an economic focus are often located in commercial areas and seek to convert alleys into safe places that can support economic activities. Such converted alleys can provide additional space for outdoor dining, as well as pedestrian linkages within the community.167 Once revitalized, alleys can support economic development by providing additional entrances to neighboring businesses and could even become tourist destinations and potentially increase adjacent property values.168 Green alleys with environmental objectives can include goals to lower carbon emissions, sustainably manage stormwater and address water supply, reduce the urban heat island effect, or

167 “Green Infrastructure.” Water: Green Infrastructure. United States Environmental Protection Act, n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2014 168 Burgos, Lila, and Sarkisian, Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for a Creating Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. Rep. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative, 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. Web. 30 June 2014.

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achieve other environmental health benefits.169 Features often implemented to achieve such objectives include permeable materials, bioswales and other features to sustainably manage stormwater, as well as vegetation that can help reduce the urban heat island effect by creating shade while expanding native plant and wildlife habitats.170 Additionally, green alleys can promote climate-friendly modes of transportation by revitalizing alleys as networks for pedestrians and cyclists as well as connections to nearby public transit.171 Lastly, Green alleys can focus on transforming underutilized and neglected alleys into safe, attractive, and functional social spaces that foster community cohesion.172 Social benefits of green alleys can include: reducing the use of alleys for illicit activities, creating a safe place for active recreation and pedestrian activity, and utilizing the public space for implementing community gatherings and events. In many cases, the process is just as important as physical changes. Including community members in green alley efforts helps to ensure residents’ concerns, needs and desires are heard and in turn inform the project. Residents engaged in a green alley project may also learn new skills while the project helps foster community cohesion and community pride. Involvement can range from attending alley cleanup events, to helping inform the design and other plans of the alley project, to leading the change and mobilizing fellow community members and other partners. Figure 10 illustrates how projects and programs can focus on one or more of these types of benefits. The following case studies highlight the range of possibilities within this categorization. It is important to note that this report uses an expanded definition of ‘green,’ which includes the broad recognition of the social, economic and environmental components in sustainability.

169 Chau, Haan-Fawn. Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles: Addressing Urban Runoff and Water Supply Through Low Impact Development. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2009. California Water Board. Web. 6 Aug. 2014 170 Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California, 2008. Print.; Fialko, Mary, and Hampton, Jennifer. Seattle Integrated Alley Handbook: Activating Alleys for a Lively City. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Green Futures Research & Design Lab Resources. UW Green Futures Lab, Scan Design Foundation and Gehl Architects. Web. 30 July 2014. 171 Downtown Seattle Public Space & Public Life. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2009. Gehl Architects, City of Seattle and International Sustainability Institute. Web. 3 July 2014.; Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California, 2008. Print. 172 Burgos, Lila, and Sarkisian, Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for a Creating Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. Rep. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative, 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. Web. 30 June 2014

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Case Study Organization Each case study is analyzed and presented in the same format, using the same variables, as follows: 1) Overview; (2) Design and Development; (3) Implementation and Maintenance; (4) Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons Learned. In order to compare and contrast the four green alley models, a summary table is presented at the end of this chapter (see Table 1 on page 70). The case study research was achieved through analysis of secondary sources, consisting of a combination of project or program literature, planning documents, newspaper articles, research reports and interviews with project and program managers of the selected four case study models. To inform the case study research, I also conducted interviews using an interview instrument and a closed-fixed response approach with project and program managers of the selected four case study models (Appendix 1.1). The intent of the interviews was to gather lessons learned from implementing green alley efforts and to then inform best practices. Interviewees were contacted using a recruitment email (see Appendix 2.1). All interviews were approximately 30 minutes in length over the phone or by email. The interview instrument was organized by the following common project or program steps: (1) Design and Development, (2) Implementation/Maintenance, and (3) Evaluation, with 6-8 questions within each step (Appendix 3.1).

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Social: Seattle’s Alley Network Project Design and Development The Historic Pioneer Square Neighborhood of Seattle, Washington is a commercial and multifamily residential area that is the focus of the Alley Network Project. The Alley Network Project, which facilitates and hosts grassroots events and advocates for alley improvements, is one example among a number of other of green alley development efforts in Seattle. The range of work facilitated by the Alley Network Project is useful for demonstrating how alleys can be re-appropriated as community gathering spaces in low-cost and temporary ways by various stakeholders (see Figure 11). The interest in transforming Pioneer Square’s alleys into public spaces originated from a 2009 study conducted by Copenhagen-based Gehl Architects, considered world-leaders in placemaking. Gehl Architects is often contracted by cities worldwide to observe how public spaces are being used in downtowns. Through data collection and collaboration with local students, non-profits, and the Seattle Department of Transportation, Gehl Architects identified Pioneer Square’s alleys as having the potential to be successful pedestrian spaces as they are numerous, narrow passageways that are outlined by human-scaled buildings.173 Gehl Architects specifically identified Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square Neighborhood as especially unique due to the visible traces of history, including surrounding historic brick buildings and remnants of old murals and signs lining the alleys. In addition, research found that Seattle’s downtown is composed of approximately 217,500 square feet of public-space alleys, of which 85% were underutilized.174 As such, one of Gehl Architects’ recommendations for Seattle included focusing on transforming alleys either as public space or pedestrian thoroughfares in order to create a finer grid and walkable city in downtown Seattle.175 The Alley Network Project is an initiative of the International Sustainability Institute (ISI), a non-profit organization that focuses on research and projects promoting sustainability. ISI developed an interest in alleys as a result of their office’s location adjacent to Nord Alley, one of the most well-known and used alleys in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. The Alley Network Project was created to forge collaborations between city departments, universities, architecture firms and advocacy groups to transform this service alley into a public space.176 As a result, multiple stakeholders have repeatedly transformed Nord Alley as a gathering place for a range of neighborhood events, some of which will be outlined in the Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons

173 Gehl Architects and the City of Seattle, Department of Transportation. Downtown Seattle Public Spaces & Public Life. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2012. Print. 174 Fialko, Mary, and Hampton, Jennifer, in Collaboration with Gehl Architects, UW Green Futures Lab, and Scan Design Foundation. Seattle Alley Integrated Handbook: Activating Alleys for a Lively City. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2011. Print. 175 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015. 176 These stakeholders include the University of Washington Green Futures Lab, local architecture and landscape architecture firms, the Alliance for Pioneer Square, Feet First, the Seattle Parks Foundation, the Seattle Department of Transportation and Pratt Fine Arts Institute

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Learned section. Together, the alley planning and stewardship brings the community together to create green alleys that function as common social space. Prior to transforming Nord Alley into a social, community space, it was notably trash-riddled, associated with drug dealing, and generally a space avoided as a pedestrian thoroughfare.177 ISI hosted the initial event in Nord Alley, which also involved gaining alley closure and cleaning up the space. By scheduling the first event and consecutive events thereafter with Pioneer Square neighborhood’s month art walk, Nord Alley became a space associated with music, food, and art. Using Gehl Architect’s recommendations as a foundation, ISI temporarily transformed Nord Alley using under $100 and emphasizing the importance of getting people in the space.178 Figure 11: Community gathering in Nord Alley, Seattle

Image Credit: Kari Champoux 177 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015. 178 Ibid.

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Implementation and Maintenance Since 2009, ISI has played a pivotal role in continuing to facilitate alley events through the creation of the Alley Event Handbook, a resource that guides interested stakeholders in the alley transformation process, including permit guidelines, a checklist and tips for success. Stakeholders have transformed a total of six alleys within the Pioneer Square neighborhood since the creation on the Handbook, through both temporary events and permanent transformations. Permanent transformations include the installation of flower baskets, the opening of a restaurant in the back of an alley, and the formal naming of alleys. The cost for alley events is fairly low. Through leveraging funding from government, private foundations and local businesses, like the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Funds program and Historic South Downtown, the Alley Network Project currently helps unite people and provides financial support to create installations and host events in Pioneer Square’s alleys. Physical improvements, such as art installations, lighting in the alley and alley resurfacing, have been funded by various granting agencies, including the Metropolitan Improvement District, who funded the lighting due to their interest in safe and clean streets, and the Federal government’s Transportation Alternative Program. This program typically funds bike lanes, walking trails, but because ISI made a case for alleys as important public, pedestrian thoroughfares, the program funded the alley repaving.179 The Alley Network Project’s events and activities in Pioneer Square’s alleys are possible due to the City of Seattle’s implementation of the Clear Alley Program in 2009. The Program removed all dumpsters located in Pioneer Square’s alleys and replaced them with a pay-per-bag trash service, categorized by color for refuse, recycling and food waste, and a daily trash pick-up service.180 The result of removing large dumpsters is the creation of clear and open space that can be used for pedestrian walkways, neighborhood events and additional commercial storefronts.181

Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons Learned Along with auxiliary efforts by the Seattle Department of Transportation and police department to keep the alleys clean and safe, the Alley Network Project contributes to Seattle alleys as vibrant public spaces. The following evaluates and shares the challenges and lessons learned from the Alley Network Project’s socially focused elements:

v Resident-led alley revitalization efforts can inspire business-led, economic efforts. The alleys that have had the most attention and investment are those reshaped by the residents. However, it is important to note that not all alleys witnessed successful transformation. ISI Project manager Liz Stenning noted two types of challenges encountered in green alley efforts: differing visions of alley improvements among residents surrounding one alley and a lack of interest in alley transformation among office land use surrounding another alley. Yet, recently, businesses have recognized the economic

179 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015. 180 Ibid; Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.220) 181 The City of Seattle. CleanScapes Clear Alleys. Web. 10 July 2014. <http://www.cleanscapes.com/clearalley.html>

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potential of alleys in downtown Seattle. For example, a bike repair shop and a restaurant have open locations in Nord Alley, with main access from the alley, as a result of the numerous alley events.182

v User-dependent programs rely on well-trained users to engage with the program

correctly. While the Clear Alleys Program is an innovative strategy to decrease visual and physical deterrents to using alleys as pedestrian thoroughfares and gathering spaces, Stenning notes that the program is only as good as its participants. According to Stenning, the bag system requires an understanding and effort on behalf of the users, which is not always the case. There are three types of bags, each for refuse, recycling and food waste. The bags are collected daily or multiple times a day, depending on the location. However, Stenning notes that some users do not tie the bags properly or put the bags out at the correct times. While the Clear Alleys Program is a large step in enabling pedestrian-friendly alleys, Stenning recommends that the city revisit the program in order to provide additional enforcement and public education.

v Gathering data can help in obtaining funding. In terms of evaluating alley events and

projects post-implementation, the Alley Network Project uses pedestrian counters in order to track events and attendance. ISI has found that articulating that an alley event drew 6,000 people has helped create a compelling case for grant applications.

v City permitting enables robust and diverse programming within the alleys. Since

2008, more than 8,000 people have attended alley events as part of the Alley Network Project. Alley events and projects have included parties at First Thursday Art Walk, lighting installations, a poetry carnival, “Alley Cat” pet adoption event, holiday caroling, film screenings, World Cup and Tour de France viewing, as seen in Figure 12, and many more.183 Robust and diverse programming within the alleys is a result of the City of Seattle’s Festival Street Permit, which allows for street designation as festival streets, which then allows for unconventional uses to permanently enable alley closure, as seen in Figure 13. Prior to this change, typical acknowledged street closures included construction. Therefore, the importance of the change that came along with the festival street permit is the city’s recognition that some streets have more pedestrian activity; therefore, it should be made easier to utilize them for that activity.

182 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015. 183 About the Alleys.” Alley Network Project. N.p., 2010. Web. 2 July 2014

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Figure 12: Tour de France Viewing in Nord Alley, Seattle

Image Credit: James Grindle

v The creation of a step-by-step guide on how to obtain an alley event permit. One of the Alley Network Project’s unique contributions to civic-driven alley events and projects is the way in which the organization has increased access to understanding the City of Seattle’s street use permits or alley closure. The “Alley Event Handbook,” created by the ISI, has helped to guide alley programming for use by public space experts, community organizers, marketing professionals and students as public spaces, stages and galleries. This handbook provides instructions on obtaining necessary permits that are specific to the City of Seattle, a sample permission letter and helpful information for planning a successful alley event.

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Figure 13: Alley Closure for PARK(ing) DAY in Pioneer Square

Image Credit: The Alley Network Project

v Successful temporary efforts have inspired permanent efforts. The successes of the Alley Network Project’s temporary events have influenced the ISI to create and support physical alley improvements within Pioneer Square. The Alley Corridor Project, created in 2013 and funded by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods through a match grant fund program, involves a cost-effective design to restore alley surfaces and

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implement lighting for Pioneer Square’s alleys. In fact, a business owner within the adjacent alley implemented the lighting recommendations developed by the designer.184 Additionally, the ISI’s advocacy combined with the recognition of the alley’s pedestrian use in downtown has led to the Department of Transportation’s installation of a mid-block crosswalk, which directly connects the alley with the soon-to-operate downtown streetcar.

v Green alleys should be tailored to their context and environment. It is important to

focus on the expanded definition of “green,” in designing a green alley because the traditional association of stormwater management, including permeable pavers, is not always possible. In the case of Seattle, Liz Stenning of ISI points out that the presence of basements adjacent to the alleys in Downtown Seattle eliminates the option to install permeable paving or other systems that allow water to percolate into the ground. Instead, Stenning mentions that it is important to focus less on the amount of money, perfection and scale of alley event or improvement, but rather, involving people and incremental experimentation. An example of a solution to adding greenery in Seattle alleys is seen in Figure 14, in which vertical, temporary greenery was added by adaptively reusing a wooden palette.

v Adding art installations and signage can help attract people to the alley, perceive

the space differently and create more ‘eyes on the street.’ In activating an alleyway, the goal is to attract more pedestrians and patrons in order to help increase the level of safety. In Seattle’s Nord Alley, alley events have brought both temporary and permanent art installations and signage, such as the “living” moss sign, as seen in Figure 15. Stenning suggests incorporating visuals into alleys in order to help draw the passerby from the nearby sidewalks into the space and create more visual awareness.

184 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015.

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Figure 14: Context-sensitive solution to adding greenery

Image credit: Alliance for Pioneer Square Figure 15: Art Installation and Sign in Nord Alley, Seattle

Image Credit: Scott Chillberg

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Economic: Hollywood’s East Cahuenga Corridor Alley Revitalization Project Design and Development The East Cahuenga Corridor Alley Revitalization Project (EaCa Alley) is located in the Hollywood Entertainment District of Los Angeles. EaCa Alley is a T-shaped alley, composed of two alley segments and outlined by many restaurants. The project was completed in 2012 and transformed a formerly gated alley with trash, debris and long-standing pools of water, into a pedestrian-friendly space (see Figure 16).185 The project demonstrates how converting a commercial into a designated, pedestrian-only space supports adjacent businesses. Figure 16: Trash, debris and long-standing pools of water before improvements

Image Credit: Office of Eric Garcetti via Streetsblog/LA Responding to the public nuisance known as “Heroin Alley,” EaCa alley was gated by adjacent property owners in the 1990s, with the consent of local officials, for private uses.186 While the gates

185 Besley, Sarah. Associate Executive Director of the Hollywood Business Improvement District. E-mail interview. 27 Aug. 2014 186 Burgos, Lila and Sarkisian,Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for Creating a Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. October 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative.

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addressed safety concerns important in the 1990s, over time property owners realized that the gates were barriers to the full benefits that the alley could provide.187 Furthermore, stagnant pools of water were common in the alley due to the lack of the alley’s capability to direct storm water to catchment areas.188 Adjacent businesses, along with associations, such as the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance (HPOA), the Hollywood Entertainment District and the Business Improvement District (HBID), worked together on a vision to re-open the alley to create a pedestrian and business-friendly environment.189 Sarah MacPherson Besley’s master thesis at UCLA helped to inspire this vision by identifying the alley as a potential site for multi-functional use.190 City agencies recognized the economic development potential that could come from improving an alley associated with nuisance into a pedestrian-friendly space.191 Municipal support and interest came from the Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) and Los Angeles Councilman Eric Garcetti (now Mayor Garcetti) and his staff in Council District 13. The political support and leadership of this Council District assisted in pioneering alley revitalization in the city by expediting permits, sharing knowledge of funding sources and raising support from community organizations, businesses and leaders.192

Implementation and Maintenance A key implementation strategy for the EaCa Alley is its designation as a pedestrian-only space. Stakeholders were able to utilize the California State Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 in order to restrict vehicular traffic as a result of the Los Angeles City Council’s adoption of the alley’s re-designation as a pedestrian mall.193 The Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960, which defines streets as “any public street, road, highway, alley, lane, court, way or place of any nature open to the use of the public194” restricts vehicular traffic in whole or in part to encourage exclusive or primary pedestrian travel.195 Through the establishment of the Pedestrian Mall Law, the State Legislature identified that there is a need to separate pedestrian from vehicle travel and “that such separation is necessary to protect the public safety and other to serve the public interest and convenience.196” Restoring EaCa Alley’s designation as a pedestrian mall was integral to installing the curb-to-curb permeable pavers and other standard city design components. The City of Los Angeles allows for 187 Besley, Sarah. Associate Executive Director of the Hollywood Business Improvement District. E-mail interview. 27 Aug. 2014. 188 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014. 189 Burgos, Lila and Sarkisian,Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for Creating a Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. October 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. 190 Besley, Sarah. Associate Executive Director of the Hollywood Business Improvement District. E-mail interview. 27 Aug. 2014. 191 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014. 192 Ibid. 193 Burgos, Lila and Sarkisian,Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for Creating a Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. October 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. 194 "California Streets and Highways Code Section 11004." California Streets and Highways Code Section 11004 (2011). Web. 1 June 2015. <http://www.weblaws.org/california/codes/ca_sts_and_high_section_11004>. 195 Ibid. 196 Ibid.

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the implementation of permeable pavers if a developer applies for a revocable permit, entitled the “R” permit, which ties the developer or another non-city entity to the liability, maintenance, and responsibility of the pavers.197 Before the construction of the EaCa Alley, this type of use of the “R” permit had not been used for the installation of interlocking permeable pavers in an alley. Further information regarding the installation of permeable paving in alleys in the City of Los Angeles is discussed in Part 5 on page 81. Funding for the EaCa Alley came from public and private sources, including the CRA/LA instituted tax increment funding that covered the majority of construction costs.198 HBID developed a supplemental assessment to generate significant revenue for alley maintenance, which is supporting ongoing operation and maintenance costs.199 The East Cahuenga Corridor Alley Association was then created in 2011, composed of property and business owners, to ensure that the alley is monitored and maintained over the long-term. The total cost of EaCa Alley, including design and construction, came to $1 million. Carlos De La Fuente, Project Manager of the Bureau of Engineering, noted that one major construction task and cost for the project included reconstructing of the alley’s connection to adjacent arterial roads in order to provide secure stormwater connection.200

Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons Learned The EaCa Alley Revitalization is notable as a commercial alley project with economic benefits that also supports an inviting public pedestrian corridor. The following evaluates and shares the challenges and lessons learned of the EaCa Alley Revitalization Network Project’s unique economically focused elements, with a focus on implementation and standardization strategies:

v Businesses are actively involved and directly benefiting. EaCa Alley is a prime example of how a public-private partnership and investment was made possible through the active business community’s involvement. According to the Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative report, over half of alley adjacent businesses responded positively to the alley investment and reported a positive impact on the neighborhood one year after opening.201 In fact, according to project manager Carlos De La Fuente from the Bureau of Engineering, adjacent businesses reported a 10 million dollar annual increase in sales receipts in 2013.202 This increase in sales is in part due to the increase in maximum person

197 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014. 198 Newell, J. P., et al. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure? J. Cities (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004 199 Besley, Sarah. Associate Executive Director of the Hollywood Business Improvement District. E-mail interview. 27 Aug. 2014.; Burgos, Lila and Sarkisian,Tamar. East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project: Best Practices for Creating a Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Alley. October 2013. Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. 200 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014. 201 Ibid; In the City of Los Angeles, there is a policy in place that allows for the implementation of permeable pavement under the condition that non-city entities assume responsibility for maintenance and repairs. 202 Ibid.

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capacity available through the use of the rear door, connected to the alley.203 Prior to the improvement, patrons would not use the rear access to businesses due to the alleys condition, which thus decreased the number of maximum person capacity. Now, the alley provides a secondary access to businesses but also additional space for adjacent restaurants and businesses to display goods.

v Maintenance can be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The HBID and Homeowners Alliances’ assumed responsibility for maintenance and repair of the permeable pavers, which in the City of Los Angeles, is the necessary condition for implementing a non-standard material.204 As a green, renovated and public space, EaCa Alley is also used for other economic activities, including the Cahuenga Corridor Market for artists to sell their wares and the Spice Alley event, which features food, music and vendors (see Figure 17).

203 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014. 204 Belvins, Aaron. “From Crime and Grime to Wine and Dine.” Park Labrea News/ Beverly Press. 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://beverlypress.com/2012/03/from-crime-and-grime-to-wine-and-dine/>

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Figure 17: Spice Alley Event in EaCa Alley

Image Credit: Gary Leonard

v Design elements create a pedestrian-friendly, commercial environment. After its revitalization, the EaCa Alley functions as an outdoor open space for visitors to stroll, relax, and enjoy outdoor dining options and patio space (see Figure 18).205 Major rehabilitation and construction of the alley, such as new permeable paver drainage system, lighting, pavement and a sewer system, have created a pedestrian-friendly area. Safety has been increased as a result of pedestrian lighting, additional pedestrian traffic and a gate that is closed nightly. Safety and visibility are top concerns for alleyways due to their remote location from the main streets. Additionally, garbage containers and services are located in an adjacent offsite location for alley-adjacent businesses, leaving the alley open for

205 Newell, J. P., et al. Green Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure? J. Cities (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.07.004.

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pedestrian and commercial activities, such as the expansion of outdoor dining for adjacent restaurants and planter boxes with vegetation.

Figure 18: Rehabilitated, pedestrian-friendly alley after improvements

Image Credit: Sarah MacPherson Besley

v Different alleys have different physical features. The standard alley width in Los Angeles is 20 feet.206 However, EaCa Alley, and others within the city, is 15 feet in width. The relative narrowness of the alleys brought challenges and conflict both in design and engineering. Additional layers of complexity in the project included underground utilities located in the vaults of adjacent businesses, which proved challenging for infiltrating stormwater below ground. Ultimately, the Bureau of Engineering and other project partners developed alternatives that coexisted with existing utilities while providing infiltration.

v A project can be small in scope but big in exposure. EaCa Alley is an icon for the city

of Los Angeles. It is the first of its kind and an important example of the possibilities for partnership, design, engineering and funding. Project manager Carlos De La Fuente notes that the success of EaCa Alley is in large part due to the private and public consensus for the project due to the shared vision for an alley with local and regional benefits.

206 De La Fuente, Carlos. Project Manager of the Street & Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works in the City of Los Angeles. Personal interview. 15 July 2014.

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Environmental: Chicago’s Green Alley Program Design and Development Chicago’s Green Alley Program kicked-off U.S. green alley programs and organized projects.207 Today, this influential program has re-purposed and greened over 200 alleys throughout Chicago to cost-effectively reduce stormwater flooding, urban heat island effects and carbon pollution.208

With one of the most extensive alley networks in North America of approximately 1,900 linear miles and a total of 3,500 acres of impermeable surface, the Chicago Green Alley Program is noteworthy in its scale, standardization within the City and ability to retain the function of alleys for municipal services.209 The Green Alley Program is an initiative of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The majority of Chicago’s alleys lack sewer infrastructure and were originally designed to divert stormwater toward the center of the alleys and then into the streets, where the runoff joins the combined sewer system (see Figure 19).210 Historically, the typical response to flooding was either to resurface or reconstruct alleys and add a sewer and catch basin.211 This was expensive. To avoid the costs of sewer infrastructure upgrades or repair, in 2006, the CDOT re-conceived its alley program to incorporate new green infrastructure to manage stormwater in a way that was more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. The CDOT began the program as a series of pilot projects in order to demonstrate green infrastructure, develop alley design prototypes, and formulate and test sustainable materials.212 The success of the pilot projects raised the CDOT’s confidence in pervious pavement and fueled an increase in development and manufacturing of this pavement within the local construction industry, which in turn decreased costs of materials. In addition to permeable pavement, the CDOT also tested and then implemented open-bottom catch basins as another stormwater best management practice (BMP). After successful pilot projects, the Mayor and the CDOT formalized the program and created the “Green Alleys Handbook: An Action Guide to Create a Greener, Environmentally Sustainable Chicago,” to educate stakeholders and encourage replication (see Figure 20). This handbook has become an important resource for green alley projects throughout the world.

207 Cassidy, Arly, Josh Newell, and Jennifer Wolch. Transforming alleys into green infrastructure for Los Angeles. USC Center for Sustainable Cities, 2008. 208 “UCLA Research: Chicago Green Alley Program Case Study.” Message to Janet Attarian. 7 Sept. 2014. E-mail 209 The Chicago Green Alley Handbook: An Action Guide to Create a Greener, Environmentally Sustainable Chicago. Rep. Chicago Department of Transportation, 2010. City of Chicago, Department of Transportation. Web. 20 June 2014 210 Attarian, Janet L. “Greener Alleys.” United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration: Public Roads 73.6 (May/ June 2010): n. pag. FHWA-HRT-10-004. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/10mayjun/05.cfm> 211 Ibid. 212 Ibid.

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Figure 19: Chicago alley before improvement

Image Credit: The City of Chicago

Implementation and Maintenance Initial funding, estimated to be $900,000, was allocated to the Streetscape and Sustainable Design section of the Project Development Division within the CDOT for green alley research, material development, pilot projects and creation of the Handbook. After this initial funding, the program was integrated into the City of Chicago’s “Menu Improvement Plan,” which allocates funds to the 50 wards to create ward-specific budgets for capital improvements and discretionary funds. This model enables each ward to decide how to spend the money based on projects listed on a “menu” of available improvements. These improvements include items such as streetlights, bike lanes, and of course, green alleys.

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Figure 20: Chicago Green Alley Handbook

Image Credit: The City of Chicago

Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons Learned Chicago’s program is particularly notable for the strong leadership from its Department of Transportation. The following evaluates and shares the challenges and lessons learned of the Chicago Green Alley Program and its unique environmentally focused elements:

v A pilot project and the creation visual tools to explain program or project benefits to can help form community partnerships. By starting out with a few demonstrations of a project idea, rather than trying to create a citywide standard from scratch, Janet Attarian from the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) found that stakeholder and city officials’ concerns related to new process and non-standard materials were alleviated.213

CDOT created a demonstration project by re-adapting the normal street reconstruction process and identifying it as a pilot project. After demonstrating a physical example of a green alley, the City created the most well known example of promotional green alley materials: “The Chicago Green Alley Handbook. “The Handbook is designed to help explain green infrastructure design through visuals and assisted in gaining program

213 Arvidson, Adam. “Unseen Green.” Treeline: The Story of Your Land. Landscape Architecture, September, 2008, 2008. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.

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support, as seen in Figure 21. 214 It was distributed at public meetings and citywide “green events” in the hopes that residents understand, adopt and request the green alleys.

Figure 21: Green Alley Handbook diagram visualizing elements of permeable paving

Image credit: The City of Chicago

v Green Alley development has proliferated due to the Chicago Department of Transportation’s leadership in the development and implementation of the Green Alley Program. The CDOT finances and has streamlined the development of green alley conversions in the city. The CDOT’s ownership has enabled green alleys to become routine and implemented on a widespread scale throughout the city and has encouraged their integration into broader citywide initiatives. Since the creation of the Green Alley Program, every commercial and residential alley that the CDOT has reconstructed has been “green,” using one or more of the materials tested in the original five pilots (for an example of one of the implemented green alleys, see Figure 22). The standardization and support of green alleys has led to their widespread implementation and integration. The program is a permanent environmental initiative within the CDOT’s green infrastructure initiatives, which includes the implementation of a full range of environmental best

214 Ibid.

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practices addressing water, energy, materials and waste, climate and air quality, urban ecology, beauty and community.215

Figure 22: Chicago green alley after improvements

Image Credit: The City of Chicago

v Green alley development has been integrated into broader citywide initiatives and conceived as a strategy to implement sustainable development. Green alleys are integrated into the City’s Climate Action Plan as well as the CDOT’s Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Policies and Guidelines.216 Most recently, the CDOT has included alleys in their Make Way for People initiative, which seeks to implement and support creative public right-of-way reclamation. As the program facilitator, the CDOT’s motivation is to build upon the Green Alley Program and enable the use of city alleys as People Alleys, a term for alleys that can be used as temporary spaces for events, placemaking and economic development.217

215 “Green Alleys.” City Service: Streets, Alleyways and Sidewalks. City of Chicago, Department of Transportation, n.d. Web. 10 July 2014 216 Ibid; Attarian, Janet L. “Greener Alleys.” United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration: Public Roads 73.6 (May/ June 2010): n. pag. FHWA-HRT-10-004. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/10mayjun/05.cfm> 217 People Alleys.” Make Way for People. City of Chicago, Department of Transportation, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

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v Installing green infrastructure in alleys can be an opportunity to include other ‘green’ features. Along with permeable pavers, the CDOT incorporated other environmentally friendly features in the development of the green alleys. Examples of additional improvements include, recycled construction materials, energy efficient dark sky compliant lighting (fixtures that are specially designed to focus the illumination toward the ground and minimizes light pollution) and high albedo pavement (see Figure 23).

Figure 23: Dark Sky Compliant Lighting

Image Credit: The City of Chicago

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Multiple Focuses: South Los Angeles’ Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project Design and Development While other alley projects have been built in Los Angeles, the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project (the Avalon Project) represents many firsts. It is the first alley revitalization project in the high-density, working-class area of South Los Angeles, the first comprehensive alley retrofit to simultaneously incorporate green elements and vehicles in Los Angeles and the city’s first retrofitted green alley network. In partnership with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN), The Trust for Public Land is leading this collaborative effort to green a network of alley segments within a residential neighborhood of the area. The Avalon Project is a pilot effort currently in the construction phase towards a goal to retrofit nearly a mile of alleys, or six alley segments, in the South Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The Avalon Project is particularly notable in its diverse objectives and goals of multi-functional alleys that provide social, economic and environmental benefits for the community. According to The Trust for Public Land, goals for the Avalon Project include improving community health and fitness; increasing safety; providing neighborhood connections; improve the water quality and supply and; green and cool the urban matrix.218 One of the main components of the Avalon Project is the development of a replicable model for maximizing the potential for alleys as open space to meet multiple community needs. A main impetus for the Avalon Project was derived from a USC Sustainable Cities report finding that South Los Angeles has the highest concentration of alleys in the city.219 Further inventory studies by The Trust for Public Land showed that a majority of alleys are unsafe, unused, and refuse-filled environments, as seen in Figure 24.220 Furthermore; research also found that long-standing stormwater, as seen in Figure 25, was prevalent in the area due to the degraded state of the alleys, the aging stormwater infrastructure and lack of permeable surfaces.221 One of the main tenants of the replicable model is community participatory design, which in the case of the Avalon Project has taken the form of an alley maintenance team of residents in the South Park neighborhood. The Avalon Green Team, as seen in Figure 26, has not only helped to maintain alley cleanliness and plant trees, but also provided feedback on alley design. However, prior to the formation of the Avalon Green Team, this neighborhood did not have an existing 218 “State of California Urban Greening Grant Program Proposal.” The Trust for Public Land. 2011 219 Ibid. 220 Combined Report for CF 05-0752 Alternative Street Surfacing Materials; Green Streets; CF 08-0102 Green Alleys. October 15, 2008 221 Newell, Joshua P., Seymour, Mona, Yee, Thomas, Renteria, Jennifer, Travis Longcore, Wolch, Jennifer R., and Shishkovsky, Anne. “Green Alley Programs: Planning for a Sustainable Urban Infrastructure?” Elsevier (2012): n. pag. Web. 1 July 2014.

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community organization or mechanism for providing feedback in the municipal decision-making process.222 Through The Trust for Public Land’s model of ongoing and integrated outreach, in the form of community events, as seen in Figure 28, presentations at nearby schools, tree planting days, and door-to-door flyers, every step of the project development was coupled with outreach activities. Figure 24: Conditions of South Los Angeles Alleys Prior to Retrofit

Image credit: The Trust for Public Land

222 Ballock, Laura. Project Manager for the Parks for People program for The Trust for Public Land. In-person interview. 4 Sept. 2014.

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Figure 25: Standing Water Pools in Alley Prior to Retrofit

Image credit: The Trust for Public Land Figure 26: Presentation of the Avalon Project Design Ideas to the Community

Image credit: The Trust for Public Land Funding for the Avalon Project came from a combination of public and private sources. LASAN also obtained State grants in addition to providing funding to implement the project. With these funds, the Trust for Public Land created a prioritization strategy for improvements in order to create a fundable construction budget. Key design and development steps were achieved through The Trust for Public Land’s partnership with LASAN. Additional municipal partnerships include the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning, City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation,

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City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works - Bureaus of Engineering and Street Services, the inter-agency City of Los Angeles Green Streets Committee223 and Green Alley Subcommittee, the Los Angeles Fire and the Los Angeles Police Department, including the Newton Division. Figure 27: The Avalon Green Team cleaning an alley in the South Park neighborhood

Image credit: The Trust for Public Land

Implementation and Maintenance In order to control costs, The Trust for Public Land developed a system for prioritizing improvements: the Alley Retrofit TIER 1 and TIER 2 alley improvement structure. This system allows identified alleys to receive one of two treatments (see Figure 28). Alley Retrofit TIER 1 involves low-impact development projects in which alleys will have asphalt pavement replaced with permeable materials to reduce stormwater runoff as well as planted vegetation and fruit tree vines accented with public art. The remaining Alley Retrofit TIER 2 alleys will be cleaned up and beautified with vines and artwork but will not involve stormwater management elements.

223 A team of experts from the City of Los Angeles’ Department of City Planning, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works

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Figure 28: Prioritization of Alley Improvements

Image credit: The Trust for Public Land and SALT Landscape Architects The first phase of the Avalon Project broke ground in April 2015, involving the construction of a TIER 1 alley, specifically, the construction of three BMPs to capture and infiltrate runoff from the surrounding block and intersecting streets via catch basin intercepts; a drywell system; over 2,200 square feet of interlocking permeable pavers overlying an infiltration trench and; vines and fruit trees in planters. Forthcoming construction includes the implementation of the pedestrian-only segment of the TIER 1 T-shaped alley in the northeastern corner of the network, as seen in Figure 30. In order to achieve the alley closure, The Trust for Public Land employed the precedent set by the East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project (EaCa Alley) to designate the alley segment as a pedestrian mall. Phases 2 and 3 will continue the pedestrian segment including the construction of three BMPs to capture and infiltrate runoff from the surrounding block and intersecting streets via a catch basin intercepts; a drywell system; over 800 square feet of interlocking permeable pavers. The overall, long-term care of the green alleys is anticipated to be a combined city and community-led endeavor. In order to facilitate and promote this hybrid stewardship and maintenance regime, community outreach is tightly coordinated with maintenance requirements. The Avalon Green Team will continue to maintain the alleys as long-term stakeholders and stewards of the project while LASAN will be responsible for the stormwater BMPs and green infrastructure maintenance, per a Memorandum of Understanding. Additional activities and participants in The Trust for Public Land’s maintenance plan includes the continuation of clean up days in the Avalon neighborhood, graffiti abatement and community building by adjacent high school students, Los Angeles

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Conservation Corps and the non-profit organization Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), which often helps the Bureau of Sanitation and other city agencies in graffiti and trash removal, as well as mitigating deterioration by the request of residents. Lastly, vegetation maintenance is planned to be the responsibility of volunteer gardening organizations. Identified organizations will mentor and assist the Avalon Green Alley Green Team in pruning, watering and caring of the fruit trees and drought-tolerant plants. Figure 29: Rendering of the Pedestrian-only Segment of the Avalon Project

Image credit: SALT Landscape Architects

Evaluation, Challenges and Lessons Learned The Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project is an example of a green alley project with social, economic and environmental objectives. The following evaluates and shares the challenges and lessons learned of the Avalon Project:

v Designing a demonstration project helps to illustrate challenges and overcome concerns. City regulations played a key role in the final design schematics of the Avalon Project. Specific interactions with City agencies altered elements, materials and design schematics of the Avalon Project while others facilitated the development process. Meetings with City departments regarding design schematics resulted in a refined palette of suitable materials; the City’s advice centered on utilizing standard materials and avoiding the use of textures and colors out of the context of road and pedestrian safety. Through the use of the non-standard techniques and materials featured in the “Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Street & Green Alleys Design Guidelines (2009),” The Trust for Public Land was able to navigate the City’s compliance related to green infrastructure, including permeable paving, dry wells and other green infrastructure elements suitable in

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the public right-of-way. It is important to note that the Avalon Project complies with permit requirements within the public right-of-way however; Bureau of Sanitation, Watershed Protection Division decided that no permits were necessary because of the Avalon Project’s status as a pilot project.224 Instead, a Memorandum of Agreement with The Trust for Public Land states that Bureau of Sanitation, Watershed Protection Division is responsible for correct design features, liability, and complete maintenance of the stormwater BMP elements.225

v Objectives that align with city goals can leverage a project. Aligning the design of a

green alley project with city guidelines and standards is clearly important for city approval but can also contribute to obtaining funding and other important types of project support. In the early stages of development, The Trust for Public Land initiated multiple coordination meetings with several Los Angeles City departments to establish municipal support and to align the project with citywide green infrastructure development. For example, the Avalon Project’s stormwater management features were designed to help address the City of Los Angeles’ Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance for municipal stormwater programs with the Environmental Protection Agency for the Los Angeles River.

v A tiered system for improvements can help create an achievable budget. While it is

possible to obtain funding for an entire green alley project from a single source, if a project or program is multi-faceted, it may be necessary to develop a multi-faceted funding strategy. The Trust for Public Land developed a tiered system for design features, knowing that every alley segment could not receive the same level of improvements, thus prioritizing resources within a limited but achievable budget. For example, while TIER 1 alleys will have asphalt pavement replaced with permeable materials to reduce stormwater runoff as well as planted vegetation and espaliered fruit trees accented with public art, TIER 2 alleys will only be cleaned up and beautified with vines and artwork. The Trust for Public Land also plans to construct the green alleys in three different phases because grant funding came in at different times for different components of the larger project. Funding sources include a combination of local, state and federal grants as well as foundation grants.

v Permanently designating a green alley as a pedestrian mall allows for a vehicle-free

zone. The Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 within the California Constitution can be applied to alley conversions into pedestrian-only spaces in California. A pedestrian mall designation restricts vehicle access in a public street, which includes an alley, and enables exclusive or primary pedestrian travel. In the case of the East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project, the Los Angeles City Council’s designation of the alley as a pedestrian mall allowed for alley closure to vehicles and the creation of a pedestrian-friendly environment. The Avalon Project used this approach for part of the network.

224 Ballock, Laura. Project Manager for the Parks for People program for The Trust for Public Land. In-person interview. 4 Sept. 2014. 225 Ibid; California Codes (shc:11000-11011).” CA Codes (shc:11000-11011). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015

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Summary of Case Study Lessons Learned The previous four case studies offer lessons for designing, developing, funding, maintaining and most importantly, standardizing green alleys that have social, environmental and economic objectives. An important takeaway from this chapter is that there is a spectrum of standardization. As city regulations and objectives range across municipalities, it is important to recognize the importance of a context-sensitive approach to green alley standardization. More specifically, understanding that there is a spectrum of green alley standardization can help in promulgating green alleys across the U.S. In Chicago’s case, the green alley program is located within the Chicago Department of Transportation and implemented, as well as funded, through the ward system. In Seattle, a non-profit organization navigated the city’s regulations on behalf of citizens and helped to secure permitting for alley events through an annual purchase of the festival streets permit. In Hollywood’s case, the property owners’ alliance partnered with city officials to implement the green alley and used the Pedestrian Mall Law to close the alley. Lastly, in South Los Angeles, a non-profit organization partnered with the City’s Bureau of Sanitation and surrounding residents to implement a green alley network with open and closed segments, in part through precedence set in Hollywood of a pedestrian mall. Collectively, the four models offer examples of diverse green alley efforts that enable a compare and contrast analysis of standardization tools. The following table summarizes features of each case in order to demonstrate the variance among implemented green alley efforts. This chapter, along with the following table, is useful for gathering best practices and inspiring context-sensitive approaches to the green alley implementation and standardization process. The City of Los Angeles is poised to both build off of the recent implementation of the Avalon Project and standardize green alleys through the lessons learned from this project, and learn from additional unique lessons from other cases across the U.S. in the formation of a multi-beneficial green alley program. Table 1: Summary of Case Study Features Seattle Hollywood Chicago Los Angeles Focus Social Economic Environmental Multiple Surrounding Land Use

Commercial and multifamily residential

Commercial Commercial and multifamily residential

Single and multifamily residential

Area Historic Pioneer Square District

Hollywood Entertainment District

Citywide South Los Angeles

Lead Facilitator(s) + Collaborators

International Sustainability Institute and their Alley Network Project

City Council District 13, Hollywood BID, CRA/LA, alley-adjacent property and

Chicago Department of Transportation

The Trust for Public Land, Bureau of Sanitation

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business owners Project/ Program Begin Data

2008 2008 2006 2010

City Departments Involved

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT); Seattle Police Department

Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering, CRA/LA, Council District 13

Chicago Department of Transportation

Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation; Council District 9; County Supervisor Ridley-Thomas; Los Angeles Police Department

Regulations/ Policies

Clear Alleys Program (2009); Street Use Permit from SDOT; Festival Street Permit from SDOT

Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 for alley closure

Adding Green to Urban Design: A City for Us and Future Generations (2008); Chicago Department of Transportation’s Sustainable Urban Infrastructure: Policies and Guidelines (2013)

Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines and Standards (2009); Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 for alley closure portion only

Funding Combination of private funders, local government and local businesses

Combination of public and private sources, including the CRA/LA instituted tax increment funding, HBID supplemental assessment

City funds; ward-specific budgets for capital improvements and discretionary funds

Combination of public and private sources, including local city funds and state grants

Functions/Uses Temporary, pedestrian-only spaces for events; pedestrian passageways

Pedestrian-only space, pedestrian passageways, commerce

Stormwater flooding abatement

Open space, pedestrian-only spaces, pedestrian passageways, rainwater harvesting, stormwater

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management, water quality

Cost per linear foot

Cost for alley events ranges from $1,000 - $7,000

Approximately $147/ square foot

$24/ square foot Approximately $100/ square foot

Number of Alleys Implemented to Date

Seven active alleys

One T-shaped alley

Over 200 alleys A network of four alleys

Maintenance Property owners and the City of Seattle maintain alleys

Hollywood BID Unknown The Bureau of Sanitation maintains the stormwater BMPs, the Avalon Green Team

Additional Supportive Programs/ Efforts

Clear Alleys Program

Update to the Hollywood Community Plan (2011), which included a policy to protect alleys from gating or closure to retain pedestrian and vehicular circulation and a program to create an alley maintenance plan for the area

People Alleys, as part of Make Way for People Initiative

South Los Angeles Green Alley Mater Plan Green Infrastructures Program including Rainwater Harvesting and Green Streets Programs

Next steps Important next steps for case study research to support green alley standardization include analyzing failed cases and evaluating the reasons for their lack of success.

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Part 5: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations

Research in Los Angeles Several research efforts have focused on alley revitalization and green alley development in the city of Los Angeles and the region. Part 5 first reviews the studies and their respective findings in an effort to both compliment and build off of existing research. One of the most cited and major research projects in the green alley academic literature is the 2008 report, “Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles.” This University of Southern California (USC) Center for Sustainability Research project set the stage for alley efforts in Los Angeles by quantifying alley density (alleys per square mile); Cassidy, Newell and Wolch (2008) found that the city of Los Angeles has approximately 900 linear miles of alleys.226 Of the 900 linear miles of alleys, researchers quantified alley density by subregion, suggesting that alley density is much higher in the South (81.9) and South Bay (63.9) subregions than in the West (18.0) and San Fernando (14.2) subregions (see Figure 1 on page 12). Significant opportunity emerged when researchers coupled these findings with studies showing that City of Los Angeles is one of the most park-poor227 cities in the U.S with uneven distribution of park space across the city.228 Through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and physical audits of 300 alleys across the city, Cassidy, Newell and Wolch (2008) found that alleys in Los Angeles tend to be concentrated in flood-prone, park-poor communities, yet without activity 80 percent of the time.229 Researchers put forth that alleys constitute a “major opportunity to create green infrastructure to support watershed health, community interaction, and physical activity.230” Altogether, the collective analyses of other North American cities and research findings led Cassidy, Newell and Wolch (2008) to recommend a comprehensive green alley program for the City of Los Angeles. Ultimately, this research helped to create a vision for multi-purpose green alleys in Los Angeles and the political will for alley transformation. Recommendations fueled collaboration between the USC Center for Sustainability Research and several City of Los Angeles departments, including the Bureau of Sanitation, Department of City Planning, Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA). This interdepartmental task force formed the City of Los Angeles Green Alleys subcommittee under the

226 Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California, 2008 227 7.8% of the city’s area is devoted to parks and open space 228 Wolch, Jennifer R., Jason Byrne, and Joshua P. Newell. "Urban Green Space, Public Health, and Environmental Justice: The Challenge of Making Cities ‘just Green Enough’." Landscape and Urban Planning 125 (2014): 234-44. ScienceDirect, 2 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://urbansustainability.snre.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Making-cities-just-green-enough.pdf>. 229 Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California, 2008 230 Ibid.

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Green Streets Committee, tasked with identifying funding sources, potential pilot projects and green alley design.231 (However, the Green Alley Subcommittee is currently in hiatus until the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project and the South Los Angeles Green Alley Master Plan are completed for data collection, evaluation, and determination of next steps).232 As a follow-up study to the “Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles” report, Seymour et al. (2008) conducted an in-depth study of Los Angeles alley perceptions, uses and users in July 2008. In the report, “Uses and perceptions of alleys in Los Angeles: results from a series of focus groups,” researchers present findings from focus groups of alley-adjacent residents of six alley-rich, park-poor communities across Los Angeles County and surveys of personal perceptions, uses and wishes for alleys in local communities. Findings suggest that “residents are wary of alleys, consider them dirty and potentially dangerous, and worry about ‘stranger danger’ because they may encounter people from outside the neighborhood there.233” Furthermore, survey results found that residents use alleys as shortcuts but generally, do not use alleys unless necessary. This research points to opportunities to improve cleanliness in alleys and promote community gathering as a method of increasing safety and positive use of alleys. As an additional companion to “Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles” the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation in coordination with the Green Streets committee and the Green Alley Subcommittee created “The Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines (2009)” to help incorporate green elements into streetscape projects. The focus of the document is on achieving water conservation and protection of oceans by assisting developers, planners, designers, and engineers in identifying and selecting appropriate Best Management Practices (BMPs) for green infrastructure projects to better manage stormwater and urban runoff.234 Consistent with Cassidy, Newell and Wolch’s (2008) findings that alleys constitute an opportunity to create social, economic and environmental benefits, the design guidelines offer six design scenarios for possible design implementation solutions with primary focus on the stormwater management element of green infrastructure. A final response to note is the study “The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city.” In the article, Wolch et al. (2010) suggest that alleys are prevalent but unevenly distributed across the city of Los Angeles.235 Alley density is greatest in park-poor, low-income Latino and African-American neighborhoods.236 The alley audit also revealed that alley conditions varied across regions; “alleys in older communities, poor or working-class areas, and communities

231 Cassidy, Arly, Newell, Josh and Wolch, Jennifer. Transforming Alleys into Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles. Rep. Los Angeles: Center for Sustainable Cities, U of Southern California, 2008 232 Tam, Wing. Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. Email correspondence. 24 May 2015. 233 Seymour, M., Bradbury, H., Wolch, J., and Reynolds, K.D. 2008. Uses and perceptions of alleys in Los Angeles: results from a series of focus groups. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center for Sustainable Cities (p. 2) 234 Rainwater Harvesting Program: Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines Standards (1st edition) 235 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874. (p.2881) 236 Ibid.

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of color, were clearly more problematic than in more affluent districts.237” This research is particularly prominent in the discussion of social and environmental equity across Los Angeles.

Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations The following section outlines challenges and opportunities to green alley standardization and offers recommendations for the City of Los Angeles. The purpose of this section is to (1) summarize key findings from interviews with city agency personnel; (2) analyze these findings by extracting opportunities from challenges and; (3) outline recommendations to streamline the green alley development process and jumpstart interdepartmental collaboration in the City of Los Angeles. I conducted nine interviews with city agency personnel within the City of Los Angeles, using an interview instrument and a closed-fixed response approach. As alleys have various functions that lie within many city department purviews, interviews with personnel across departments and jurisdictions were necessary. Both City agencies and personnel were selected based on their existing responsibility and role in alley planning, development, and maintenance, as well as their potential for future engagement in green alleys. Furthermore, I selected a combination of City agencies and personnel from both implementation and decision-making departments. Identified agencies include:

v Department of City Planning v Office of the Mayor v Department of Recreation and Parks v City Council v Department of Transportation v Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation v Department of Public Works, Bureau of Street Services v Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering

Appendix 1.2 outlines the personnel interviewed along with their job title. In some cases, multiple interviews with personnel in specific agencies were conducted in order to understand specific aspects of challenges and opportunities. City agency personnel were contacted by email using a recruitment email (see Appendix 2.2). All interviews were approximately 30 minutes in length over the phone, in-person, or email. The interview instrument, as seen in Appendix 3.2, was organized according to the following two themes: (1) Department's role within City structure, and (2) Integration of green alleys and a 237 Wolch, Jennifer, et al. "The forgotten and the future: reclaiming back alleys for a sustainable city." Environment and planning. A 42.12 (2010): 2874.

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standardized process, with six to eight questions within each category. In addition, specific questions for each interview were developed in order to expand upon particular issues within each City agency (see Appendix 4.1). By analyzing the interview transcription data, I formed distinct themes from the interviewees’ responses related to existing challenges and opportunities to standardizing green alleys. The themes are categorized below as follows:

v Function and use v Stormwater BMPs (the devices or techniques used to capture, treat or redirect stormwater,

such as permeable pavement, catch basins, bioswales, rain gardens, etc.) v Landscaping and Design v Funding and Implementation for green alley development and implementation v Safety (including considerations for personal injury, property damage, and city liability) and

Maintenance. Within each theme, challenges, opportunities and recommendations are outlined to streamline the green alley development process. Each recommendation is assigned responsibile agencies. While the recommendations presented in this section are catered to Los Angeles, other cities may experience similar challenges and opportunities, and therefore can benefit from the recommendations. As such, the challenges and opportunities are written in a format that is transferable to other cities. It is important to note that as a whole, there is recognition within the City of Los Angeles that alleys have the capacity to serve multiple purposes and fulfill objectives for the city. However, there are key challenges and barriers present within each agency in respect to standardizing and expanding alley functions. The remaining chapter presents these findings, as categorized by the above themes, and offers detail-oriented challenges, opportunities and recommendations.

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1. Function + Use

Green alleys can have a range of functions and uses depending on the goals, existing conditions, and stakeholder input. Examples of the variety of functions include a pedestrian-only space and a shared space for pedestrian and vehicles. Uses can range from a space for community gathering to locations for stormwater management elements. Establishing a functions and uses in a green alley significantly shapes the outcome.

Recommendations List 1.1 Utilize routine updates of localized policy documents, such as Community Plans or Specific Plans, to identify the best use and function of green alleys. 1.2 (a) Communicate to the public and city personnel available standard plans for transforming alleys and promote through interdepartmental training (b) Streamline permitting process to enable unconventional uses in alleys.

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1.1

Challenge Opportunity Every alley is not conducive to the range of green alley outcomes.

Site specific and local policy documents can be opportunities to identify the function and use of available alleys. Specifically, at the Community Plan or Specific Plan level, alleys can be identified and evaluated for their potential to accommodate specific improvements. Through observation, data collection and mapping, alleys can be identified for their existing importance in vehicular circulation, pedestrian passage, open space, economic development, etc. as well as their ability to accommodate stormwater best management practices (BMPs) (some of the soil types found in alleys cannot accommodate BMPs). Analysis and community input can help to define whether an alley should have landscaping, stormwater management elements, vehicular access, or be configured as a pedestrian-only space.

Recommendation Utilize routine updates of localized policy documents, such as Community Plans or Specific Plans, to identify the best use and function of green alleys. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, The Department of City Planning, the Bureau of Engineering, the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Sanitation Use local policy documents as a method of identifying and cataloging potential alley improvement sites. Several city departments must collaborate on this task due to the need to map, identify existing functions, and test soil types and other ecological factors for potential stormwater best management practices elements. The Community Plan update in the Downtown region is an opportunity to apply this strategy of identification, data collection, analysis and evaluation due to the number and density of alleys.

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1.2 Challenge Opportunity Many cities have not formalized transforming the public right-of-way in non-standard, innovative ways. Oftentimes city departments utilize available strategies on a case-by-case basis due to a lack of overarching policy or program. Moreover, the public is oftentimes not made aware of the strategies available to them to transform the public right-of-way.

Innovative public right-of-way transformations can be standardized at the city-level. There are several precedents for creating resources that disseminate available options to the public and city personnel. In the case of Seattle, as previously discussed on page 51, the Alley Network Project helped to designate particularly pedestrian-friendly alleys as “festival streets,” thus enabling unconventional uses. The City of Seattle’ Festival Street Permit allows for streets, and now alleys, to be permanently designated as a festival street so that alley closure for events and activities in the alley are streamlined. Prior to this change, typical acknowledges street closures by the City of Seattle included construction.

Recommendation (a) Communicate to the public and city personnel standard plans available for transforming alleys and promote interdepartmental training. Responsible agencies: Bureau of Engineering Currently there are standard plans that enable particular construction in Los Angeles alleys. For example, interlocking permeable pavers for stormwater infiltration in alleys is a standard plan due to the Green Alley Subcommittee’s work in 2009. Specifically, interlocking permeable pavers is approved for curb-to-curb implementation in parking lots, building entrances and pedestrian malls, referred to as standard plan S-485, as seen in Figure 31. When vehicle traffic is retained, standard plan S-486 applies, as seen in Figure 32, entailing a centerline strip of interlocking permeable pavers. However, these standard plans are not promoted and made easily available to the public or city personnel through education material. The City of Los Angeles should communicate and promote standard plans through educational materials and interdepartmental training. (b) Streamline permitting process to enable unconventional uses in alleys Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering The Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960 is an essential resource for changing the street designation of an

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alley to a pedestrian mall. Doing so allows for current standards, such as curb-to-curb interlocking permeable pavers, to be implemented. While two precedents have set the stage for further pedestrian mall designations in the city of Los Angeles, the process of changing the street designation requires City Council approval and other regulatory steps. City of Los Angeles should streamline the permitting process to designate a street as a pedestrian mall.

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Figure 30: Standard Plan ‘S-485’ for Centerline Strip of Permeable Pavers

Image Credit: The Department of Public Works

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Figure 31: Standard Plan ‘S-486’ for Curb-to-Curb Permeable Pavers

Image Credit: The Los Angeles Department of Public Works

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2. Landscaping + Design

Green alleys can be designed and landscaped in a myriad of configurations. Landscaping and design reflects the functions and uses of the alley. Landscaping and design in green alleys is also highly shaped by local regulations. However, there are innovative techniques to create a green alley that follows regulations and balances fundamental and desired functions and uses.

Recommendations List 2.1 Create an inter-departmental task force to develop a handbook or toolkit for green alley development. 2.2 Use lessons learned and best practices from Seattle, Hollywood and other cities to apply an innovative solution to balancing service functions and other green alley design features in Los Angeles

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2.1

Challenge Opportunity The construction of green infrastructure is not always appropriate in every alley due to alley width, underground utilities, and available funding.

There is a range of options for landscaping green alleys and gaining the benefits associated with green infrastructure. In the case of Seattle’s Alley Network Project, previously discussed on page 51, the presence of basements adjacent to the alleys in Downtown Seattle eliminated the option to install permeable paving or other systems that allow water to percolate into the ground. Instead, vertical, temporary greenery was added as a context-sensitive solution to landscaping, as seen in Figure 15.

Recommendation Create an inter-departmental task force to develop a handbook or toolkit for green alley development. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments The Green Alley Subcommittee made great strides in 2009 in developing standards for green alleys, providing a vision for the city, and jumpstarting an interdepartmental collaboration around alleys. However, the Green Alley Subcommittee is currently in hiatus until the Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project and the South Los Angeles Green Alley Master Plan complete data collection, evaluation, and determination of next steps. When completed, the Green Alley Subcommittee needs to be reactivated in order to build upon the previous work. Specifically, the City of Los Angeles should create a handbook or toolkit for green alley development in order to provide public education, replicable typologies, and a transparent process for navigating the design, development, permitting and construction process. Providing a blueprint for development process can empower community partners to initiate green alley projects, as well as promote public and private collaboration.

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2.2 Challenge Opportunity Alleys are important spaces for trash receptacles, loading and unloading for commercial businesses, and other necessary functions, making it difficult to landscape and design the space for multiple uses.

Two examples of innovative solutions to balancing the service function and other green alleys design features come from Seattle and Hollywood. In the case of Seattle, previously discussed on page 51, the City implemented the Clear Alley Program, which removed all dumpsters located in Pioneer Square’s alleys and replaced them with a pay-per-bag trash service, categorized by color for refuse, recycling and food waste, and a daily trash pick-up service.238 In the

case of Hollywood, previously discussed on page 59, trash receptacles of adjacent businesses were consolidated in an adjacent surface parking lot abutting EaCa Alley.

Recommendation Use lessons learned and best practices from Seattle, Hollywood and other cities to apply an innovative solution to balancing service functions and other green alley design features in Los Angeles. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Sharing lessons learned and best practices across cities can bring innovative solutions to common issues facing dense North American cities. The City of Los Angeles should draw from Seattle’s Alley Network Project and Hollywood’s EaCa Alley Project to understand lessons learned in balancing important municipal services, such as trash service, and other green alley design features, such as seating and landscaping. For example, in areas that are identified as pedestrian priority, the City could consolidate trash receptacles among alley adjacent businesses on a nearby site or remove trash receptacles for a daily bag service. 238 Stenning, Liz. Public Realm Director, Alliance for Pioneer Square. Personal interview. 25 February 2015; Bain, L., Gray, B., & Rodgers, D. 2012. Living streets: strategies for crafting public space. Print. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. (p.220)

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3. Funding + Implementation for Green Alley Development and Implementation Funding and implementing green alleys are two integral steps in the green alley development process. While capital investments and improvements to public transportation infrastructure can be challenging, green alleys offer a multitude of benefits that can be leveraged for funding. Connecting a vision for green alleys to implementation strategies offers a concrete method to realize their benefits.

Recommendations List 3.1 Build off of the Great Streets Initiative and create a Great Alleys Initiative 3.2 Designate the Bureau of Sanitation to lead green alley efforts due to their knowledge in stormwater best management practices and current leadership in green streets. Look to the Department of Transportation’s Parklet Program as a program model in streamlining and centralizing development materials. 3.3 (a) Incorporate green alleys in the menu of public benefit options for additional development rights; (b) Name alleys to give identity and promote placemaking, investment and development and; (c) Apply for local, state and federal grants that support alternative transportation, water quality, and urban greening. 3.4 Create a data-driven approach to identifying and funding green alley projects.

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3.1

Challenge Opportunity A vision for green alleys is not always linked with implementation strategies.

A city’s existing initiatives that focus in the public right-of-way can provide an opportunity to either incorporate alleys or function as a model for creating an alley-focused program.

Recommendation Build off of the Great Streets Initiative and create a Great Alleys Initiative Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments The Mayor’s Great Streets Initiative sets precedence for a citywide program that is implemented by the City’s 15 council districts, in collaboration with city departments. Through a Great Alleys Initiative, every council district could collaborate with city departments to design, develop and implement a green alley to demonstrate the citywide potential and lessons learned. The benefits of instituting a green alley program at the city level are that the city government has a duty to equally distribute service and improvements across the geography, and socioeconomic lines, of the city. Furthermore, the benefits of designing and developing green alleys at the city council level are that each council district can adapt the green alley potential based on unique issues and objectives present. Lastly, origination of a citywide green alley initiative from the Mayor’s office can leverage the ability to access implementation departments in order to:

o Encourage their prioritization o Inform and influence standards and regulations, o Steer the planning of departments towards green alley development and; o Streamline the work, which can help to accelerate the replication of pilots and in

turn, accelerate or promulgate policy

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3.2

Challenge Opportunity Several city departments share responsibility and purview of green alley planning, development, and maintenance, as seen in Figure 31. The overlapping responsibility can cause confusion among departments and community members.

A city department can take the lead on green alley efforts as a method of coordinating agencies. In the case of Chicago’s Green Alley Program, previously discussed on page 62, the Department of Transportation is the lead city entity. Development and implementation of green alleys can be facilitated under a single city department through interdepartmental planning and implementation.

Recommendation Designate the Bureau of Sanitation to lead green alley efforts due to their knowledge in stormwater best management practices and current leadership in green streets. Look to the Department of Transportation’s Parklet Program as a program model in streamlining and centralizing development materials. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, City Administration Officer, Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation, Department of City Planning The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) has demonstrated commitment to sustainability, as seen in their Clean Water Program and Watershed Protection Division, as well as their leadership in developing and constructing green streets in the City of Los Angeles. Currently, LASAN is Co-Chair or the Green Streets Committee, along with the Board of Public Works. LASAN is poised to take the lead on green alley efforts, which can help in coordinating interdepartmental efforts, obtaining resources and funding, and implementing projects. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s (LADOT) Parklet Program provides a model and precedent for a city department-led initiative that was developed in conjunction with multitude of other departments. Specifically, LADOT collaborated with other city departments to create a streamlined and centralized program for the public to apply for the creation of parklets and plazas in their community, along with detailed design for the parklets. This public one-stop-shop model of the People St. Program is an important precedent for LASAN that can be replicated to:

o Pilot projects o Streamline the development and implementation process o Pilot a program o Develop a green alley toolkit o Weave green alleys into existing and future planning documents o Establish an official program

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Figure 32: Overlapping Jurisdiction in Los Angeles Green Alleys

Image source: The Author

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3.3 Challenge Opportunity There are scarce funding resources for infrastructure improvements, such as alley revitalization.

Green alleys have multiple benefits, and therefore can be funded by multiple sources. If the range of benefits is communicated, green alley development can be leveraged. For instance, private development can be leveraged to directly fund green alley efforts. Additionally, local, state and federal grants aimed at supporting aspects of green alleys can fund their development.

Recommendation (a) Incorporate green alleys in the menu of public benefit options for additional development rights Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning The City of Los Angeles is currently in a comprehensive update process of the municipal zoning code, which provides an opportunity to incorporate green alleys as one of the public benefit options available for developers to gain additional development rights, such as increased height. This planning initiative, referred to as Re:code:LA, gives the Department of City Planning the opportunity to weave green alleys into the municipal zoning code, among other important public benefit options, such as open space and affordable housing. (b) Name alleys to give identity and promote placemaking, investment and development.

Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation Providing a formal name to an unnamed alley can foster multiple uses. The City of Los Angeles should name alleys in conjunction with other strategies to encourage green alley development to promote placemaking, investment and development. Businesses are more likely to establish an entrance from the alley with a legitimate name, address and recognition from the city. (c) Apply for local, state and federal grants that support alternative transportation, water quality, and urban greening. Responsible agencies: The Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of

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Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of City Planning Many grants are coming to the City of Los Angeles related to water quality and greening, and alternative transportation. Below is a list of recommended grants to apply for that can fund green alley development, based on previous awards in the area and best practices from other cities:

1. The State Water Resources Board Urban Greening Grant, 2. Proposition 84 Stormwater Grant Program (SWGP), 3. Proposition 1 Water Bond, 4. Proposition O Clean Water Bond (only for capital improvements), 5. Assembly Bill 2403 to enact fees for stormwater capture 6. Metro’s Call for Projects (specifically, the Pedestrian Improvements category) 7. California Department of Transportation’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), 8. Federal Highway Administration’s (FHA) Transportation Alternative Program (TAP)239

239 According to the FHA, the TAP provides funding for “programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation; recreational trail program projects; safe routes to school projects; and projects for planning, designing, or constructing boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways” (FHWA 2014). If green alleys are developed with goals of strengthening the pedestrian network, activated alleys can serve as transportation alternatives by functioning as pedestrian passageways.

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3.4 Challenge Opportunity There are often enormous amounts of alleys in cities, but it is unclear which to prioritize as green alleys.

Applying a data-driven approach to identifying alley sites for improvement based on a list of criteria can help in prioritizing green alley development.

Recommendation Create a data-driven approach to identifying and funding green alley projects. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation Several projects and programs within the City of Los Angeles are employing a data-driven approach to prioritizing efforts. For instance, the Clean Streets Initiative, established in March 2015, is using a street cleanliness index to identify and grade all the streets in the city. Based on the grade, funding and personnel will be located where it is needed the most. This approach helps to focus efforts and give more urgency to the issue. Furthermore, data-driven approaches set the stage for funding by quantifying resources and outcomes and, therefore, providing a clear baseline to improve upon. There is opportunity to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help identify and visualize locations that fulfill a narrow list of identified criteria, which can include examples such as: (1) locations where mandates can be fulfilled for the City, such as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) per the State Water Board NID permit for Los Angeles County, or the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and; (2) locations where efforts and funding for greening the Los Angeles River, such as the Army Corps of Engineers-backed project to “update L.A.'s relationship with its river, converting an ugly concrete back alley into a new verdant front yard, bringing parkland and recreation, along with wildlife habitat and flood protection, to the city center.240”

240 The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board. "How Green Can L.A. and Its River Be?" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2014. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0530-river-20140530-story.html>.

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4. Green infrastructure + Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) Green infrastructure is a broad term for strategies that weave development and nature through

sustainable methods. Benedict and McMahon (1947), argue that green infrastructure includes the “conservation, restoration, and maintenance of functioning natural systems [which] not only protects ecosystem values and functions, but also provides diverse recreational, social, and economic benefits to people” (xvi). Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) are a key component to green infrastructure. Common BMPs for the public right-of-way include swales, rain gardens and other elements that capture, infiltrate or transpire water. The goal of stormwater BMPs, according to the EPA, is to “reduce or eliminate the contaminants collected by stormwater as it moves into streams and rivers.”

Recommendations List 4.1 Ensure that alleys are included in the creation of detailed stormwater management guidelines for green infrastructure elements in the public right-of-way. 4.2 Pilot a green alley program to test materials and stormwater best management practices.

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4.1 Challenge Opportunity For many years, projects have been designed to move stormwater off-site, but green infrastructure uses reverse engineering to infiltrate stormwater into the ground. It is difficult to convince all parties of the merits and benefits.

In California and other dry states, water quality restrictions and the drought are increasing municipal attention to strategies that capture, infiltrate and reuse water. In order to ease skepticism of green infrastructure in Chicago, the City created the Green Alley Handbook, previously discussed on page 62, to explain the design and benefits to the public and city personnel.

Recommendation Ensure that alleys are included in the creation of detailed stormwater management guidelines for green infrastructure elements in the public right-of-way. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Sanitation, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation Guidelines for green infrastructure can provide essential information for public and private entities interested in incorporating stormwater management best practices in sites. This recommendation is timely as a recent motion calling for all new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements was approved by the Los Angeles City Council.241 The motion involves the creation of stormwater management guidelines for public street construction and reconstruction. An upcoming City Council vote will enable the ordinance to take effect. The motion makes mention of green alleys, which is a promising indication of their inclusion in the potential stormwater management guidelines that will be created if the motion passes the Los Angeles City Council. However, the City of Los Angeles should ensure that the potential stormwater management guidelines include configurations that are appropriate for alleys.

241 Zaldivar, Enrique C., Gary Lee Moore, and Nazaria Sauceda. "City of Los Angeles Inter-Departmental Correspondence." Green Sustainable Streets Council Motion (Council File 14-0748) Rev (6-80) Form. Gen 160 (2015): n. pag. City of Los Angeles, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0748_rpt_bos_01-14-15.pdf>.

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4.2 Challenge Opportunity There are heavy regulations on approved materials for the public right-of-way due to safety and liability concerns, as well as load bearing requirements of fire departments.

New materials can be tested through pilot projects and other demonstrations so that they can be incorporated into standard materials for the public right-of-way. Over time, a wider palette of materials can be available for use. The Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project is an example of this approach, previously discussed on page 70. The Trust for Public Land partnered with the City of Los Angeles’s Bureau of Sanitation to design and test new stormwater best management practices in four South Los Angeles alleys. The City will learn from this pilot project and potentially incorporate new standards as a result of the lessons learned and best practices.

Recommendation Use a pilot green alley project as an incubator for testing non-standard materials and stormwater best management practices. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Council Office, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant departments One of the cited major obstacles to developing green alleys is the regulatory process to implement new, sustainable materials and practices in alleys. Therefore, the City of Los Angeles should pilot a green alley to test new materials and stormwater best management practices in order to make a wider palette of materials available for alleys. A particular element to test is the structural integrity of the standard permeable pavers, which has yet to be confirmed in terms of ability to sustain loads required by the Department of Public Works and the Los Angeles Fire Department. A promising candidate for this pilot process is Harlem Alley in Downtown Los Angeles. In May of 2015, Councilperson Jose Huizar of Council District 14 established interest in leading the way in piloting a green alley program in Downtown Los Angeles through his legislative motion to create a “Formal Green, Walkable Alleyway Program.242” The City Council of Los Angeles would do well to first pass this motion in order to foster the development of a pilot green alley program, and then use this alley as an opportunity to establish best practices and lessons learned for citywide implementation. 242 "Councilmember Huizar Introduces Motions to Launch 'DTLA Forward'" Jose Huizar Councilmember District 14. N.p., May 2015. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.josehuizar.com/councilmember_huizar_introduces_motions_to_launch_dtla_forward>.

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5. Safety and Maintenance

Safety and maintenance of green alley projects are of utmost importance. Green alley safety includes considerations for personal injury, property damage, and city liability. Responsibility for green alley maintenance can range from non-profits, to the city, to community members. City regulations strongly shape safety considerations maintenance in green alley development.

Recommendations List 5.1 (a) Use the municipal zoning code to reinforce activated alleys through the inclusion of alley frontage regulations, (b) Create a step-by-step guide on how to obtain necessary permits for alley events 5.2 Partner with non-profit organizations and community-based agencies to connect with community members, who can provide input and become stewards for green alleys. 5.3 Create a division within Public Works that specializes in the designing, development, installation and maintenance of green infrastructure for green street, green alley, and other sustainable public right-of-way projects.

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5.1 Challenge Opportunity A challenge to improving alleys is a perceived lack of safety, due to associations with crime and blight, as well as their physical narrowness and separation from streets.

Long range planning tools, such as the municipal zoning code, can be used as a mechanism to shape and change the built environment. Shorter-term opportunities can come in the form of holding events, parties and activities in alleys. In the case of Seattle’s Alley Network Project, previously discussed on page 50, temporary events helped attract people to alleys and rethink them as available public space. These events inspired permanent efforts, such as the implementation of alley lighting by adjacent property owners and the construction of frontages to the alley.

Recommendation (a) Use the municipal zoning code to reinforce activated alleys through the inclusion of alley frontage regulations Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning The municipal zoning code is a powerful implementation tool for cities. Green alleys can be integrated at the zoning level where standards are written to support an alley system, such as design treatments along alley frontages that serve to activate the alley or to achieve goals identified in the plan. This alley frontage approach is currently being considered in the Re:code LA planning initiative, a comprehensive revision of the city’s outdated zoning code. The City of Los Angeles should ensure that this strategy is woven into the code as a part of the comprehensive re:code LA effort in order to bring more ‘eyes on the street’ to alleys. (b) Create a step-by-step guide on how to obtain necessary permits for alley events Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services Bringing people to alleys to gather as a community, play and participate in events is a strategy to ease apprehension in using alleys as public space as well as encourage property owners and businesses to locate themselves adjacent to the alley. In order to facilitate this culture, the City of Los Angeles should create a step-by-stop guide on how to obtain necessary permits for alley events, such as farmers markets, art gallery parties and movie screenings.

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5.2 Challenge Opportunity Alleys are too narrow in width and street sweepers cannot be used to clean their surfaces. Further, if permeable pavers are incorporated in green alleys, they tend to clog over time. Maintenance is labor-intensive; once sediment builds up in the gravel base, the pavers must be vacuumed and reinstalled in order to retain infiltration capabilities.

Adjacent homeowners can maintain the longevity of the permeability of the pavers and deter service by periodically hosing them down and avoiding treading dirty over the pavers. According to the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services, vacuuming and replacement of permeable pavers and associated elements are estimated to occur every 7-10 years.243 However, this strategy is only successful is the community is willing to care for the permeable pavers and they are educated by the City in how to do so. In the case of South Los Angeles, previously discussed on page 70, the Trust for Public Land worked to organize community members and groups to get the neighborhood investment in the new improvements by forming the Avalon Green Team (see Figure 27).

Recommendation Partner with non-profit organizations and community-based agencies to connect with community members, who can provide input and become stewards for green alleys. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation With a lack of resources and shrinking city budgets, identifying non-profit and private entities for collaboration is a source for green alley project development. In the case of the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project in South Los Angeles, the Bureau of Sanitation secured funding and worked with the Trust for Public Land on a pilot project that could help to accelerate future efforts. In effect, organizations like the Trust for Public Land are taking on some of the roles that have been traditionally fulfilled by city government, such as project development and community outreach. The City of Los Angeles can leverage the numerous, specialized non-profits working at the neighborhood level in the Los Angeles region and work to closely incorporate their efforts into city staff’s work. A promising collaboration includes the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to target alley cleanup (including removing overgrown vegetation, garbage, and bulky items that are often dumped) through their Clean & Green Program.

243 Gong, Alice. Civil Engineers for the Bureau of Street Services. Personal interview. 25 March 2015.

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5.3 Challenge Opportunity Many cities have not standardized relatively new sustainable materials in the public right-of-way. In some cities, the only way that such materials can be implemented is if maintenance is assumed by a non-city entity. Such restriction places a burden on adjacent property owners and often excludes low-income areas of cities from seeing such improvements.

As sustainability is continually woven into city department goals and objectives, specialized knowledge in designing, developing, installing and maintaining sustainable projects through a centralized entity can be justified. In the case of Chicago’s Green Alley Program, the creation of a green infrastructure strategy to transportation projects helped to gain attention and traction to widespread sustainable practices within the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). With the associated creation the “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Guidelines” in 2013, CDOT requires that sustainable design be considered in all of its projects.

Recommendation Create a division within the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) that specializes in designing, developing, installing and maintaining green infrastructure for green street, green alley, and other sustainable public right-of-way projects. Responsible agencies: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and the Bureau of Sanitation Green streets are gaining attention in the City of Los Angeles, in part due to the recent May 2015 Los Angeles City Council motion calling for new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements. Other sustainable practices, in terms of construction, have been in place since 2012 through the City’s Low Impact Development ordinance, which seeks to mitigate the impacts of runoff and stormwater pollution as close to its source as possible.244 Furthermore, Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti has identified the Bureau of Sanitation as the lead agency to implement his Clean Streets Initiative Executive directive. In all, in the City of Los Angeles, sustainable practices are increasing in political popularity and importance. In extension of Mayor Garcetti’s directive, the City of Los Angeles should create a division within Bureau of Sanitation that specializes in designing, developing and maintaining green infrastructure and other sustainable materials or practices. Precedents of green alley projects and cleaning of alleys in the City of Los Angeles have highlighted the potential for the Bureau of Sanitation to assume 244 "Low Impact Development." City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.lastormwater.org/green-la/low-impact-development/>.

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responsibility of green alley infrastructures in alleys. The combined knowledge, experience and jurisdiction over alleys can provide a source of maintenance support for green alley development. As maintenance is key to the performance of green infrastructure, proactively allocating resources to the maintenance of these elements is key to ensuring success.

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Conclusion There is a wealth of opportunities to create community assets and satisfy multiple objectives through green alleys in the City of Los Angeles and elsewhere. As sustainability and resilience increases in importance and resources dwindle, alleys can be reconceived as available spaces for a range of purposes. Instead of conceiving of alleys as nuisances, the cases featured in this report demonstrate that alleys can be spaces for social, economic and environmental benefits. This report has demonstrated that green alleys can provide space for community gathering, stormwater capture and infiltration, landscaping, and seating for adjacent cafes. Green alley efforts typically focus on one or more of the following benefits: environmental, social or economic. The case study models featured in this report demonstrate the range of possibilities within this categorization of: environmental, social, economic, and multiple.

The four cases individually contribute to lessons in standardizing green alleys and collectively create a spectrum of green alley possibilities, outcomes, and city involvement. For example, in Chicago’s case, the green alley program is housed within the Chicago Department of Transportation, and in Seattle, a non-profit organization navigated the city’s regulations on alley use and events on behalf of citizens. In Hollywood’s case, the property owners’ alliance partnered with city officials to implement the green alley project, while in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization partnered with the Bureau of Sanitation and residents to implement a green alley network pilot project. Collectively, the four models offer examples of diverse green alley efforts that enable compare and contrast of standardization tools A key takeaway from this report is that there is a spectrum of standardization across cities. This finding is important to keep in mind as each city’s regulations differ, as do goals for green alleys within a city. Therefore, it is important to retain flexibility in what constitutes green alley standardization in order to promote a replicable development process As such, the purpose of this report is to capture the challenges and opportunities to standardizing green alleys and offer recommendations that take into account best practices from four green alley model projects across the U.S. Through interviews with city personnel across the city departments that are either directly responsible for alleys or have a potential to engage with alleys in the future, this report offers recommendations to help jump-start an interdepartmental collaboration around green alleys. The City of Los Angele is poised to join other large municipalities in the green alley movement. A confluence of political will, interest across city departments and funding for sustainable projects is present. With interdepartmental collaboration and continued political will, green alleys can be implemented across the city, producing local, citywide and regional benefits.

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Appendices Appendix 1: Interview List 1. 1 Case Studies and Notable Examples

City, State Project or

Program Interviewee Job Title

Seattle, Washington

The Alley Network Project

Liz Stenning Public Realm Director for the Alliance for Pioneer Square

Hollywood, California

The East Cahuenga Alley Revitalization Project

Carlos De La Fuente

Project Manager in the Street and Stormwater Division of the Bureau of Engineering of the Department of Public Works

Sarah MacPherson Besley

Associate Executive Director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance (HPOA)

South Los Angeles, California

The Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project

Tori Kjer

Dire

Program Director, Trust for Public Land’s Los Angeles Program

Laura Ballock Project Manager, Trust for Public Land’s Los Angeles Program

Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Green Alley Program

Janet Attarian D

Chicago Department of Transportation Complete Streets Director

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1.2 City of Los Angeles Agencies

City Agency Division/ Bureau/ Branch Interviewee Title

Los Angeles Department of Transportation

Active Transportation Division Valerie Watson Assistant Pedestrian Coordinator

Los Angeles Office of the Mayor

yyy

Greg Good Director of Infrastructure

Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Policy and Planning Division Nicholas Maricich

City Planner

Bryan Eck City Planning Associate

Los Angeles Department of Public Works

Bureau of Engineering, Street and Stormwater Division

Carlos De La Fuente

Project Manager

Bureau of Sanitation, Watershed Protection Division

Majid Sadeghi Environmental Engineering Associate

Bureau of Street Services, Engineering Division

Alice Gong Civil Engineer

Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks

Planning, Construction and Maintenance Branch

Melinda Gejer City Planning Associate

Los Angeles City Council Office of Councilmember Jose Huizar, District 14

Kevin Ocubillo Planning Deputy

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Appendix 2: Recruitment Email 2.1 Case Studies Dear NAME, My name is Rachel Lindt and I am a UCLA Urban Planning Masters student conducting a research project in collaboration with The Trust for Public Land in how green alley development can be brought to the City of Los Angeles. I interviewed you this summer to discuss INSERT PROJECT OR PROGRAM. I am continuing my research in green alleys, specifically, developing best practices in policy that support green alleys and policy recommendations specific to the City of Los Angeles. I am requesting a research interview for this project as a way to inform the best practices and policy recommendations. This new research project builds off the summer report that I authored with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and commissioned by The Trust for Public Land titled, “The Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project: Lessons Learned from Previous Projects and Program to Aid in Green Alley Development in Los Angeles and Beyond.” The summer report will be released in March in conjunction with the groundbreaking event for the project in South Los Angeles. I look forward to sharing the report with you as soon as it is available to the public. The new project will include expanded case studies of green alley projects and programs from around the U.S. as lessons for the City of Los Angeles in how green alleys can be integrated into departments and replicated across the city. I have selected INSERT PROJECT OR PROGRAM as one of four case studies in green alley projects/ program to expand upon as it provides many lessons for the City of Los Angeles, especially in policy. As such, I am seeking an additional interview to further expand the case study and follow-up with additional questions. Interviews will be conducted over the next month and I would very much appreciate your participation. This approximately X minute interview can be in-person or over the phone. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Rachel Lindt UCLA Urban Planning Master's Candidate 2015 503.926.4663 | LinkedIn Profile

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2.2 City Agencies Dear NAME, My name is Rachel Lindt and I am a UCLA Urban Planning Masters student conducting a research project in collaboration with The Trust for Public Land in how green alley development can be brought to the City of Los Angeles. This project is part of The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People Initiative and will feature best practices in policy that supports green alleys and policy recommendations specific to the City of Los Angeles. I am requesting a research interview for this project as a way to inform the policy recommendations. This research project builds off a report that I authored with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and commissioned by The Trust for Public Land titled, “The Avalon Green Alley Demonstration Project: Lessons Learned from Previous Projects and Program to Aid in Green Alley Development in Los Angeles and Beyond.” This report features the Avalon Green Alley Network Demonstration Project, which will be released in March in conjunction with the groundbreaking event for the project in South Los Angeles, and includes expanded case studies of green alley projects and programs from around the U.S. These cases provide lessons for the City of Los Angeles in how green alleys can be integrated into departments and replicated across the city. I am interviewing City officials in various departments in order to gain an understanding of the current challenges or barriers to standardizing green alley development in Los Angeles. The INSERT DEPARTMENT has a stake in alleys, therefore, it will be important to include your perspective and expertise. Interviews will be conducted over the next month and I would very much appreciate your participation. This approximately X minute interview can be in-person or over the phone. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Rachel Lindt UCLA Urban Planning Master's Candidate 2015 503.926.4663 | LinkedIn Profile

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Appendix 3: Interview Instrument 3.1 Case Studies Design/Development: What is the name of the project/program? Describe the history of the project/ program Where did the initial idea come from and how it came to be as it is today? Who is the lead entity? Collaborators? If so, what function do they serve? Please describe the main impetus or purpose of the project/ program. What are the goals? Do you have any written documentation on these that you can share? How did you select your alley(s)? Do you have established criteria? What are the common surrounding land uses? Population density? Who are you aiming to serve with this alley revitalization? General alley features? Width, length, etc.? How were the alleys used prior to development? Did this play a role in their redesign? How many converted alleys have been implemented? Overall what are the functions of the converted alleys and who is using them? What is your city’s policy towards alleys? Have any policies changed as a result of your project/ program? Implementation/Maintenance:

1. How is design and construction of the green alley(s) funded? 2. Which departments are involved in alley revitalization regulation and development and

what are their roles? Has the city issued new ordinances or policies for the development and regulation of the green alleys or are you using existing ones?

3. Are permits required? If so, who is eligible to apply for a permit and how much does it cost?

4. Is the public involved in the green alley revitalization process? If so, in what way? 5. How are the alleys maintained? Who is in charge of their maintenance? Any special

equipment necessary to maintain your green alleys? Is there an agreement about their maintenance, which you can share?

6. How does the city handle liability concerns about the green alleys? Who must hold the insurance and how much? Any liability issues?

7. Do you have a total cost (per linear foot), including design, development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation that you can share?

8. Any programming in the alleys? 9. Alley features after conversion? In your opinion, what makes your alley ‘green’? Key

benefits? Evaluation

1. Do you have a process for evaluating the alleys post-implementation? If so, what are your findings? Any data collection?

2. What have been the impacts of the alley project/program? Any changes in pedestrian use, economic vitality, safety, environmental benefit or community empowerment?

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3. What have been the challenges? 4. Notable successes and failures? 5. Lessons learned? 6. Any future green alley development or programming supportive of alley use planned? 7. Out of your experience, do you have any advice for instituting a standardized process for

green alley development at the city level? 8. Is there any other information that you would like to provide or impressions of the interview

that you would like to share?

3.2 City Agencies Working definition of green alleys for this research project: Green alleys are multiple purpose spaces that expand traditional vehicular and multiple service functions to include spaces for stormwater management, community gathering and commerce. Department’s role within City structure

1. What is the function of your department within the City of Los Angeles? What other City agencies does your department interact with?

2. How do alleys play a part in your department’s functions? 3. In your opinion, what purpose are alleys currently serving in Los Angeles? 4. What is the City’s current policy towards alleys? Is there support within the department to

foster or develop green alleys? 5. Have you created or plan to develop green alleys that can function as:

1. service or utility corridor, 2. point of access between buildings, 3. entrance/exit of properties, 4. secondary storefront for businesses, 5. space for temporary or permanent retail extension, public use, greenery and

stormwater management 6. any other activity (please explain)

6. If so, what was the department’s responsibility/ what role does the department plan on taking?

Integration of green alleys and a standardized process

1. What are the benefits of green alleys for Los Angeles? 2. What are your thoughts on green alley pilot projects (or single, localized efforts) versus an

instituted policy that standardizes green alley development within the City? Benefits? Foreseeable broad issues?

3. Can green alleys be integrated into an existing program or initiative within your department? If not, do you think a standardized process for green alleys can be developed?

4. In your view, what existing regulations are in place that inhibits a standardized process to develop green alleys throughout Los Angeles?

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5. More specifically, within the following categories, please name existing challenge(s) or barrier(s) present within your department to standardizing green alley development and explain why:

1. Function and Use 2. Safety and Liability (including considerations for personal injury, property damage,

and city liability) 3. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) (the devices or techniques used

to capture, treat or redirect stormwater, such as permeable pavement, catch basins, bioswales, rain gardens, etc.)

4. Landscaping/ Design 5. Funding/ Implementation for green alley development and implementation 6. Cleaning/ Maintenance

6. Are there opportunities for streamlining the green alley development process in order to ease any barriers to implementation?

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