Neighborhood Council Elections have been scheduled - starting in 2010

The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council has a Board of Directors with 28 positions for residents; business owners; public and private sector workforce; artists and educators; social service providers; homeless representing stakeholders throughout the neighborhood. Each Neighborhood Council is different - defined by each community it represents.

We have an annual budget of $45,000 sponsored by the City of Los Angeles to support a broad range of community initiatives and projects. This is your council too.
What is your vision for your neighborhood?

In 2010, run for your Neighborhood Council.
dlanc.com

For more information on neighborhood councils, how to become a candidate, and vote in the next election, please go to the City Clerk website and DONE (Department of Neighborhood Empowerment).

It's starting! AIA SDAT this Thursday & Friday

The Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council is pleased to announce that the first stage of the SDAT (Sustainable Design Assessment Team) grant starts this Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 9am.

This $15,000 national grant is from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and will fund a team of professionals to help with the development of a community greening strategy and resource toolkit. We have only had a short amount of time to get ready for this visit but the Sustainability Committee would like to invite you to participate in this exciting planning process.

Please NOTE: I am updating the itinerary frequently - please check out our website for a link to the latest version of the schedule.

You are welcome to join us for any of our community walks - as indicated on the schedule. Thank you to our community partners who are participating in the preliminary visit. We are hoping to visit all parts of the neighborhood represented by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. Introduce yourself to the team, hear their first impressions, and discuss your thoughts about walkability, livability, affordability, efficiency, and sustainability in your neighborhood.

We hope to see you this Thursday, September 10 - Friday, September 11 as we introduce the SDAT to Downtown Los Angeles. Thank you!

www.downtownsustainability.com

Products we use - and the consequences

For our July meeting, Stanley Michaels (Director, Resident - Civic Center) presented the second installation of his research into more sustainable packaging options. In particular, Mr. Michaels investigated the impact of EPS expanded polystyrene and PS polystyrene packaging. As a committee, we discussed the impact of packaging on waste, recycling, economics, and community. For Mr. Michaels full report to the committee, please click here.

The Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council will be requesting a letter of support from the Board of Directors on Tuesday, July 14 (6:30pm at the Los Angeles Theater) for a city-wide ordinance banning styrofoam take-out containers and packaging in Los Angeles.

Mr. Michaels also recommended the following article - please let us know if you have any feedback! "Greening Your Take-out Packaging," GWM Admin, July 20, 2006.

UPDATE: Although controversial, the Board of Directors narrowly approved a letter of support requesting the City of Los Angeles begin investigating the impacts (environmental and economic) of a styrofoam take-out food container ban citywide (July 2009).

Sustainability Committee wins 2009 LA Section American Planning Association Award for Grassroots Initiative

The Los Angeles Section of the American Planning Association has announced that the Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council will be recognized for work underway with a Planning Excellence Award for Grassroots Initiative. The Sustainability Committee is developing a community greening strategy for Downtown Los Angeles and was recently named a recipient of a 2009 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Grant. The SDAT grant will bring $15,000 in professional resources to our neighborhood to better inform our community-based group as we develop long-term sustainability goals for Downtown Los Angeles.

The Sustainability Committee has been developing a community greening "toolkit" as a means to maximize awareness of existing resources, increase program participation, and improve public understanding about sustainability. Through community engagement, the Sustainability Committee has identified topics of interest that would have a substantive impact where we live, work, and play. By fostering partnerships among individuals, nonprofits, government, and the private sector, the Sustainability Committee will leverage our community resources to maximize accessibility and efficiency. Email us at sustainability@dlanc.com if you'd like to get involved or have a project you think we should know about!