University Park & South L.A. III: Design Scenarios

In University Park, two streets were selected because of their high pedestrian volumes as walking routes to and from elementary schools. A third area was chosen because of the high public transit use at this site and its pedestrian connections to major cultural resources in the area. All three streets met three or more of the equity criteria indicators. USC Trees visited all potential sites to verify the data on the ground.  

These analyses serve as tools for nonprofits, community agencies, and city planners to strategically select tree-planting locations. This is a part of a long range vision that may take years and significant investment but it is a vision for the future as we deal with the increasing challenges of climate change. 

The following design schemes illustrate strategies to increase tree cover in the neighborhoods with the highest equity need scores while also prioritizing shade on pedestrian routes to and from elementary schools and transit stops. Each concept recognizes the presence of constraints due to overhead utilities and existing parkway infrastructure. Trees vary by size and must be planted in tree wells that provide ample space for their root zones to encourage healthy growth. 

USC Trees assigned potential trees to one of three tiers of investment to classify them by cost and level of effort required for the planting and long-term care of additional street trees. This three-tier design system comes from the City of Los Angeles Urban Forest Equity Collective ( UFEC ). 

The recommendations below provide potential solutions ranging from low-cost tree plantings to more investment intensive strategies that involve structural changes in roadway and transit stop design, or funding and support for trees on private property. All trees are placed intentionally, sustainably, and equitably to benefit residents’ health and well-being.   

Each conceptual design preserves on-street parking as an essential resource in high equity score communities. Residents were adamant about keeping parking across every community engagement event. The proposals below identify opportunities for small, medium, and large trees based on the width of existing parkways and the presence or absence of overhead utilities that may limit the height of tree growth. Where there are multiple constraints or no available space for street trees, we explore alternatives to create space for trees like bump-outs or curb extensions. Private properties also provide some of the best locations for planting large shade trees, especially in required front and rear yard setbacks where those trees can reduce sun exposure and provide shade for buildings. 

The following designs are intended to be examples, but do not represent the optimal or only opportunities to plant trees. The additional trees in the designs illustrate potential tree planting locations. More detailed and in-depth investigation of constraints will be needed as the city and non-profit groups consider these designs for implementation. 

West 27th Street between Vermont Avenue and Budlong Avenue includes the southern perimeter and main entrance of the Vermont Avenue Elementary School. The north east portion of this block provides access to pick up and drop off areas for the school. The south side is occupied by single- and multi-family residences. The historic structures on this block were built in the early 1900s and are part of a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Each residential lot has an individual curb cut and driveway. Some of the open spaces on the parcel have been paved and are used for off-street parking. There are narrow parkways and overhead utilities on the south side of the street while the north side has no overhead utilities. All parkways on the northeast portion of the block, however, were paved over and therefore provide no shade protection from the afternoon sun. There are few existing trees in the area and some homeowners have planted low shade palm trees along the parkway in front of their homes. 

The conceptual design proposes the planting of small shade trees on the south side of the street because of the narrow existing parkway. On the north side, medium trees have been proposed in existing parkways and new parkways have been proposed where there are none. Existing palm trees have been replaced with shade trees. Large, high shade trees have been proposed in private yards and in the vast paved areas of the school yard, which functions as a heat sink. 

Adams Boulevard is a transit corridor through the West Adams neighborhood. The street has a consistent planting of Magnolia trees in individual tree wells along wide sidewalks. Low pedestrian lighting provides additional illumination on the sidewalks along with the standard street lighting. Adams Boulevard has overhead utilities on both sides which restricts the height of street trees. The intersection of Adams and La Salle is a “T” shape. The streets are marked with crosswalks and there are numerous traffic signal poles that create conflicts for additional street trees.  

La Salle Avenue has commercial structures on the south side and multi-family residential structures on the north side. People who live in this neighborhood walk down La Salle Avenue to reach transit, commercial, and institutional facilities on Adams Boulevard. La Salle Avenue has limited driveways, no overhead utilities on the west side, and few existing trees. 

The conceptual design proposes the planting of medium shade trees on the north and south sides of Adams Boulevard. Numerous constraints due to traffic signals and street lights make it challenging to provide shade in the vicinity of crosswalks. There are some opportunities for larger shade trees in the front yard setbacks of residential and institutional properties. On La Salle Avenue, medium trees are proposed in new and existing parkways. Existing palm trees have been replaced with medium shade trees and large shade trees have been proposed in private yards. 

Park Grove Avenue is a long, north to south residential block located close to the 10 and 110 freeways with single- and multi-family housing. It serves as a pedestrian connection to Norwood Elementary School. This street has narrow sidewalks and no parkways adjacent to the street curb. Reverse parkways are located on the private property side of the sidewalk and field verification determined that most residents utilize the public property for walls, fences, and hedges to define their lots. Some properties have parking on paved surfaces in the front yard for off-street parking. Additionally, there is very little vegetation in rear yards which are often used for parking. The lots within this Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) have deep front yards with fifteen-foot minimum requirements.   

Solutions to increase the urban canopy on this street must be creative in response to the lack of tree planting space in the public right-of-way. USC Trees propose the addition of a five-foot wide parkway on the east side of the street and the reduction of traffic to supply southbound mobility. This would allow for trees that can maximize afternoon shade on the east sidewalk. On-street parking would be preserved and curb cuts for all properties would be created in the new parkways. Medium sized trees appropriate for planting in these parkways would provide shade on the sidewalks and street and large canopy trees could be planted in the private property setbacks. 

In addition to public street tree planting in parkways and tree wells, trees on private property are also an important part of reaching the region’s shade cover goals. Due to the lack of public open space and the predominance of private residential developments with required setbacks, USC Trees advises planting trees on private property, especially in front yard setbacks where these trees can shade homes that require air conditioning in extreme heat conditions. For trees on private property, including rentals, municipal assistance is needed to care for the trees, including watering, as these costs can be significant burdens in high need areas. 

The streets of Los Angeles have been altered drastically throughout the decades and will continue to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of modern society. The goal of the USC Urban Trees Initiative is to help cool the neighborhood of University Park and improve air quality to ensure the safety and health of local residents in the face of rising temperatures. The designs covered in this StoryMap serve as examples, but do not represent the only opportunities for tree plantings. USC Trees has identified a wider array of streets where there is potential to implement similar designs. Through research and strategic design, we can recommend how the City of Los Angeles and urban forestry practitioners can best increase the urban canopy with benefits that will last for decades to come.  

 _{StoryMap Author: Jillian Gorman}  

 _{Contributors: Dulce Acosta, Marianna Babboni, Will Berelson, Naman Casas, Eileen Chen, Tarana Chordia, Charlie Curtain, Monica Dean, Jackson FitzGerald, David Galaviz, Emma Johnson, Runzi Kang, Jinsol Kim, Carolyn Koh, Joan Lee, Yixuan Li, Beau MacDonald, Esther Margulies, Alyssa Ng, Eliana Ramirez, Melinda Ramos-Alatorre, Coleman Reardon, Nick Rollins, Katie Vega, Steve Wesson, John Wilson, Aviva Wolf-Jacobs}