Trust for Public Land, Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., and Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) are officially celebrating the official opening of The Central-Jefferson and Quincy Jones Green Alley networks.
These two revitalization projects have transformed 11 underutilized alleyways in the historic Central Avenue Jazz District into vibrant, green spaces where children and families can safely walk or bike to schools, local businesses, and parks. With the installation of lights, street planting and public art, they make a safe and inviting environment for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Natural climate solutions work. We’ve seen how green infrastructure and using natural features has reduced flooding near our other Green Alley projects and the Central Quincy Network is no exception,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California State Director and Vice President-Pacific Region for Trust for Public Land.
“Over 30,000 South LA residents live within a 10-minute walk to these alleys and by transforming them into Green Alleys we are not only preventing harmful stormwater pollution from entering our waterways but also increasing desperately needed green space and cooling the neighborhoods from rising urban heat,” added Rodriguez. “We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate with the community today and are grateful for the support of LASAN and Councilmember Price Jr. for their partnership in bringing these green alleyways to more Los Angeles neighborhoods.”
The Central Jefferson Green Alley Network includes renovations to approximately 0.62 linear miles of alley bounded by Hooper Avenue to the east, 42nd Place to the south, Wadsworth Avenue to the west, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the north. The Quincy Jones Green Alley Network includes renovations to approximately 0.17 linear miles of alley adjacent to the Central-Jefferson High Green Alley Network and bounded by Griffith Avenue to the east, Jefferson Boulevard to the south, San Pedro Street to the west, and 33rd Street to the north.
“In CD 9, we take pride in reimagining underutilized alleyways and transforming them into green, clean, and accessible spaces for the community to enjoy,” said Councilmember Price. “With the support from respected partners like Trust for Public Land and Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), we are repurposing blighted alleys into thoughtful and welcoming open spaces for all to enjoy. What’s more, these urban alleys are creating safer passages for walking and biking, helping to meet a great need in my District where one-third of constituents are under the age of 18.”
The Central Jefferson & Quincy Jones alley networks now give 33,00 residents, 51% of those low-income families, a safe space to walk outdoors within a 10-minute walk of their home. These spaces also help reduce environmental impacts through the capture and filtering of polluted stormwater and using increased tree cover to reduce extreme temperatures.
The projects are a result of a large community outreach effort as well as robust planning work initiated by the City of LA – LASAN, and Trust for Public Land in 2014 for the creation of the “South LA Green Alley Master Plan” – to improve quality of life for local residents and increase climate resilience of the region.
“Projects like the Central Jefferson Green Alley provide multiple benefits,” said Barbara Romero, LASAN Director and General Manager, “This new alley will promote community resilience and recreational opportunities.”
This winter, Southern California has seen heavier rainfall than the state has had in years, but Los Angeles in particular has been struggling to adequately capture the stormwater runoff from these rain events. Central Jefferson will capture and filter 1,300,000 gallons of stormwater per year, and Quincy Jones 263,000 gallons. The green infrastructure, including permeable pavers and native plants, will help to filter rainfall runoff and ensure it doesn’t carry pollutants into local waterways.
LASAN and TPL have created similar green alleys across Los Angeles. In October 2020, the partnership unveiled the Bradley Plaza and Green Alley in the Pacoima neighborhood. The plaza, previously a small segment of Bradley Avenue, is now closed to vehicle traffic and includes a shade structure, outdoor fitness equipment, and nature classroom.
“The Coastal Conservancy is excited to see the Central-Jefferson High Green Alley Project completed as the second Conservancy-funded green alley project implemented by TPL in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles,” said California State Coastal Conservancy Executive Officer Amy Hutzel. “We hope to see the concept scaled across the urban Los Angeles landscape to increase climate resiliency and create more equitable communities.”
Los Angeles has 900 miles of urban alleys, with South Central Los Angeles containing 300 of those miles, and in neighborhoods struggling with drainage issues, high crime, and a lack of green space, these spaces serve as an opportunity for creative solutions. Transforming these spaces is part of TPL’s mission to use innovative solutions to address the need for better connectivity between communities, as well as bring environmental and health benefits to areas that need it most.
Support from private philanthropic funders includes; The Boeing Company, The California Wellness Foundation, Clifford Family Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, LA2050, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The Rose Hills Foundation, The S. Mark Taper Foundation, TPL’s California Advisory Board, and Wells Fargo.