Play Streets Program
Play Streets Program Goal
The Los Angeles Play Streets Program supports residents in transforming their streets into places for play. These Play Streets improve:
Public health
Neighborhood safety
Community Connections
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has partnered with Alta Planning + Design (Alta) to continue the Los Angeles Play Streets Program. LADOT is committed to ensuring all Angelenos live in safe, vibrant, well-connected, and healthy communities as a fundamental livability issue for LA. Recognizing that safe streets and public spaces can form the heart of thriving neighborhoods; the City is committed to making sure these benefits are shared city-wide.
Alta
Alta Planning + Design is an active transportation company dedicated to creating active, healthy communities through planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and education/encouragement programs.
History of Play Streets
People of all ages have been playing in the street since, well, there were streets! It wasn’t until 1914 that the City of New York launched the first official Play Streets Program to make playing in the street a safe and fun activity. We’re looking to breathe new life into that same old-fashioned fun here in Los Angeles through the Play Streets Program.
In 2015, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) looked to bring Play Streets to Los Angeles. In partnership with LADOT and Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Great Streets Initiative, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), a local, non-profit community development and design organization, implemented a pilot program. That same year this team began to test the possibilities for playing in the street in Los Angeles.
The first phase of the Play Streets Pilot Program helped residents temporarily transform Los Angeles City streets into places for play, learning, and fun for all ages. KDI hosted Play Streets demonstration events in five neighborhoods across the city with limited access to parks, including South Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Watts, Pacoima, and Koreatown. Over 700 Angelenos experienced having their streets transformed into Play Streets. Now we’re inviting you to help us continue to refine the program.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has partnered with Alta Planning + Design (Alta) to continue the Los Angeles Play Streets Program. LADOT is committed to ensuring all Angelenos live in safe, vibrant, well-connected, and healthy communities as a fundamental livability issue for LA. Recognizing that safe streets and public spaces can form the heart of thriving neighborhoods; the City is committed to making sure these benefits are shared city-wide.
Alta
Alta Planning + Design is an active transportation company dedicated to creating active, healthy communities through planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and education/encouragement programs.
LADOT
LADOT leads transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations in the City of Los Angeles to provide safe, accessible transportation services and infrastructure.
Play Streets and Other Programs
In Los Angeles, where residents experience a dearth of accessible and safe public space, the 7,500 miles that make up our street network is the largest public space in the city. The City of Los Angeles hosts a number of programs that work together to advance the design and use of our streets beyond simply moving people, and instead, transform them into places that support a thriving economy, connected community, and expansive culture.
CicLAvia
Initiated in 2010, CicLAvia (a 501c3 non-profit) creates new, temporary public spaces by removing cars for one-day open street events. CicLAvia encourages active transportation by opening up these now car-free streets to non-motorized transit for pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, and more. Implemented quarterly, CicLAvia connects residents throughout Los Angeles via multi-mile, continuous open streets.
Vision Zero
The Vision Zero initiative is a commitment from the City of Los Angeles to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2025. Vision Zero brings together city departments, community organizations, advocates, public health experts, and other policymakers to work together towards creating safer streets. Vision Zero projects focus on protecting our most vulnerable road users, including children, older adults, and people walking and bicycling.
People St
People St is a community-centered program to transform underused below-curb street space into active, vibrant, and accessible pedestrian-only (vehicle-free) spaces, such as plazas or parklets.