geodesign-in-practice

assessing the condition of a place and its people working across
scales to determine how one region, neighborhood, or number of
sites might affect another. Since it is holistic in nature, it requires
gathering diverse geographic data covering the natural, cultural,
and built environments.
To begin the study, data inventories had to be collected and/or
created for each level of investigation to meet the informational
demands of each scale from the region to the neighborhood
to the site. ArcGIS played a significant role by providing the
data storage framework necessary to store, analyze, query,
and visualize economic, environmental, and social data across
multiple scales.
• Identify disadvantaged neighborhoods, defined as census
tracts with a median household income that is 80 percent of
the state median household income.
At the regional scale, these two criteria formed the basis of
the geodesign evaluation models that would result in the
identification of three neighborhoods most in need: Lincoln
Heights, Westlake, and Florence.
Identifying Neighborhoods
To begin the study for Los Angeles, researchers examined the
geographic context of the region to determine the highestneed
neighborhoods that could most benefit by the improved
environmental, social, and economic health resulting from
converting distressed properties to open space.
Two criteria were chosen, which were based on California
Proposition 84 funding standards that have been instrumental in
providing funding for parks and nature facilities in California:
• Identify the most park-poor areas, defined as having three
acres or less of parkland per 1,000 people based on census
tract data.
A simple map/graphic diagram illustrates the key opportunities and
constraints of the Lincoln Heights Local site analysis. Arrows represent
direction of movement, flow, or views. Just enough detail to support the
development of various design program elements.
(From Dakotah Bertsch, Michael Boucher, Eran James, and Abby Jones. Red
Fields to Green Fields Los Angeles, Pomona: California State Polytechnic
University 606 Design Studio, used with permission.)
Geodesign in Practice: Designing a Better World
J10221
Turning Red Fields into Green Fields in Los Angeles
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