Northeast Los Angeles Placemaking Competition: Glassell Park Community Garden
Project submitted by: Ivan Ponce
Project for Glassell Park
Project Summary and Scale
This is a group project with students from the L.A. River School.= and the project is a vacant lot in the Glassell Park area. We would like to change the lot into a community garden/park.
Why are you committed to this project?
We are committed to this project because the lot makes the neighborhood look bad and we would like to change it so the community can enjoy it.
What are the most relevant characteristics of project site and scale?
The vacant lot we are working on is located at 3324 Chapman St. and it is between two apartment buildings. The lot has been empty since the 1980s and there is trash everywhere. There is a large community around the lot with many minors. The lot is 9,610 sq ft.
Describe how this project will reinforce a sense of place or enhance the built environment.
The project will make the community look nicer. We would put it to good use, where parents can relax or garden while their children play at the playground. With this community garden/playground it would benefit the community because neighbors would go out and socialize with different people in the community. The garden/park would not only benefit the community, but possibly people might move into the area knowing that they would live near a community garden.
Provide a description of the project's necessary planning activities.
First of all, we would need a group of volunteers to help us clean up the vacant lot before anything is done to the lot. Second, we need to have a budget for the actual project so we can buy supplies and materials. Lastly, we would need people to help put the plan into action.
What is a rough estimate of your project budget?
$20-25K, depending on how much of each item and service is going to cost at the time.
How does this project leverage existing resources and efforts?
We have done interviews with community members and experts and got their opinions and what they would recommend. We also use social networks to alert people towhat's going on in the lot and what will happen hopefully. We went out to community meetings and presented our ideas to the people of the community and members. We have also gotten the attention of councilmember Mitch O'Farrell's office, and they arecontacting the owner so he can sell the lot to the city.
What community need is your project serving?
Our project is focusing on bringing the people of our community together wherethey can all have a place to relax, garden, and socialize with other people.
If your project is realized, what does success look like?
To us success looks like a place that is peaceful and fun for the community. Children will make new friends and parents will make new friends at the garden.