Special Committee Meeting - Monday, May 24 at 6:30pm

We are hosting a special meeting (which will replace our regular meeting) to formalize our 2010-2011 budget request. In addition, there are a few new projects and upcoming opportunities which we would like to discuss as a group.

We also invite all DLANC candidates to attend our meeting and introduce themselves - you will get a couple of minutes to share your vision for Downtown Los Angeles. Check out our complete agenda. See you there!

Sustainability Committee Special Meeting
Monday, May 24 from 6:30pm-7:45pm
Central Public Library, Meeting Room A

Meeting Agenda:

1. Welcome and introductions.
2. Review and approval of meeting minutes from the May 2010 regular meeting.
3. Announcements: Neighborhood Council Elections are June 25. Candidates are welcome to introduce themselves to the Sustainability Committee. Any other public announcements?
   
4. Committee Budget for 2010-2011: We have to develop our proposal for the next annual budget. We are hoping the Neighborhood Council will still have the $45,000 as we did last year. Last year's budget allocation was $6,000.
5. Sustainable Community Projects Internship: We are proposing a second internship for this summer to continue to develop our outreach capacity and internal organization. Tamara to present the job description for approval and posting.
6. Green Space & The Harlem Place Project: Update on the May 3 presentation to the community and next steps.
7. Green Space & The Urban Garden Guide: We have a launch! We need a volunteer to help us coordinate the translation.
8. Green Space & Tree Planting Guide: We have a launch! Gunnar to present guide.
9. Green Space & Green Pockets: Discuss potential partnership with the Downtown Los Angeles Youth & Cultural Center to help them build a more sustainable parking lot. We would like to help them identify resources and partners to do something better than an asphalt surface lot as their primary revenue generator and would like to include this project as an extension of the Green Pockets initiative.
10. Mobility: Pedestrian Cross-Walks: Community members are invited to bring a few ideas of where we should target a corridor of mid-block crosswalks. Current suggestions include: Broadway, Spring Street & Main Street.
11. Sustainability Committee office hours are designated opportunities to work on projects for the community. Next office hours are Monday, June 14 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Come visit!
12. Adjournment.
    

Green Pockets - Greening a Parking Lot

The DLANC Sustainability Committee is considering a partnership with the Downtown Los Angeles Youth & Cultural Center to help them "green" their parking lot. It will be a BIG POCKET of green space that we hope will set the example for the rest of Downtown. Get involved as we kick-off this exciting initiative!


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Harlem Place Project - Starting a Conversation about Green Alleys Downtown

At a community presentation of the Harlem Place Project, the graduate student team from the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Management discussed the impacts of transforming small-scale open space on both a local and regional level. With more than 900 miles of alleys and many park-poor neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, the DLANC Sustainability Committee is interested in understanding more about what can be done to enhance our urban environment, improve stormwater quality and quantity, air quality, reduce heat island effect, and create a more livable neighborhood.

Click here for a full update on the project and copies of the reports from the Bren Team.

Sustainability Committee meeting Tuesday, May 4 at the Central Public Library

Join us for our next regular meeting of the Sustainability Committee on Tuesday, May 4 at the Central Public Library (Meeting Room A) from 6:30PM-7:45PM.

Meeting Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introductions.
2. Review and approval of meeting minutes from April 2010 meetings.
3. Announcements: Neighborhood Council Elections: June 25. Candidates welcome to introduce themselves to the Sustainability Committee; Park 101 District Community Meeting and Open House on Thursday, May 13 from 4:00-6:00pm at Caltrans, 100 South Main St. (Ginny-Marie Brideau); Any other public announcements?
4. 2009-2010 Budget Update: Check request has been submitted to the City of Los Angeles for the remainder of the SDAT community match ($1,500). The $600 for Green Pockets will still be allocated/spent for this year – we have a great craft project!
5. Sustainable Community Projects Internship: We are proposing a second internship for this summer to continue to develop our outreach capacity and internal organization. Motion to support the creation of a second Sustainable Community Projects Internship for Summer 2010. (Tamara)
6. Green Space: Harlem Place Project: Update on the May 3 presentation to the community and next steps. The CRA/LA has requested a letter of support for the Fashion District Green Streets & Alley Network Plan grant application for Proposition 84 Funding. The deadline for the grant was last week (April 28) so we were asked to submit a draft in advance of committee approval (see attached letter). Motion to support the Fashion District Green Streets & Alley Network Plan grant application.
7. Green Space: The CRA/LA has requested a letter of support for the Downtown Los Angeles Open Space Master Plan grant application for Proposition 84 Funding. The deadline for the grant was also last week (April 28) so we were asked to submit a draft in advance of committee approval (see attached letter). Motion to support the Downtown Los Angeles Open Space Master Plan grant application.
8. Green Space: Urban Garden Guide. Hopefully this is the launch!
9. Green Space: Tree Planting Guide. Gunnar to present guide to tree planting.
10. Green Space: Green Pockets We had to cancel our Big Sunday event due to the protests on May 1. However, we are developing a project report and creating a more “viral” and grassroots approach to the mapping – including an online map and do-it-yourself kits.
11. Mobility: Pedestrian Cross-Walks Community members are invited to bring a few ideas of where we should target a corridor of mid-block crosswalks. Current suggestions include: Broadway, Spring Street, Main Street.
12. Sustainability Committee Website: Michael Ferguson to help us develop a REAL website! Update.
13. Sustainability Committee Chair office hours are designated opportunities to work on projects for the community. Next office hours are Monday, May 10 from 6:30pm-8:30pm for the Green Pockets Project. Come visit!
14. Adjournment.

Harlem Place Project - Integrating Small-Scale Urban Greenspace into Downtown

On Monday, May 3 the UC-Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science & Management graduate student team will present the results of their investigation of the impacts of “greening” small-scale open space to the community.

What are green alleys? What do they look like?

The Bren team has developed a few scenarios, with Harlem Place as a model, to help the community visualize how transformative a green alley can be. Other great cities such as Chicago have green alley programs that have truly redefined what these in-between spaces can be - what would a green alley look like in Downtown Los Angeles?

What are the benefits of green alleys? How does it improve our environment?
The Bren team has designed a calculator tool to give us more information about making even the smallest changes to these spaces - giving us real data to analyze the benefit of green alleys. How does a green alley improve stormwater and air quality? Can it really help us reduce our heat island effect? How cost-effective is it really to make these changes?

Community Presentation & Conversation
Monday, May 3, 2010 starting at 7:00pm
Lost Souls’ Café (124 W. 4th Street, off of Harlem Place)

For more information on this project, check out the student project website by clicking here. A very special thank you to Lost Soul's Cafe and Michael Ferguson of The Loft Exchange for their help and support of this event.