Wilshire Center sits in the heart of Los Angeles. There can be greatness ahead for it – increased vibrancy, beauty and a more robust economy, or a nightmare of clogged roadways, cement and asphalt, stagnant businesses. To enjoy the best, we must plan carefully, and together.  The Wilshire Center 2010-15 Discussion provides that opportunity.

The Discussion is a process to engage the CRA CAC members, the community and others about our future. Trends, issues, problems and desires coudl be presented and discussed in a series of subject-specific half-hour to an hour presentations and discussion at the beginning of each CAC meeting and over time the CAC produces a vision, principles and a five and ten year action plan for the project area.   The action plan would be the tool that guides the use of over 50 million dollars that are being collected over the next five years by CRA for our community.

Questions

What are the problems/issues within the WC community that need to be solved over the next five years, such as, security, jobs, education, transportation, environment, affordable housing, and parks?
How do we produce a quality of life that creates long-term economic sustainability?
What are the trends within WC, such as, demographics, developments, education, government, business, and transportation?
What are our assets and liabilities?
What is a sustainable, livable community based on smart growth principals?
What is an urban village concept and how to create one?
How do we get to a jobs/housing balance and reduce auto use?
Is the draft vision and economic development our guide for the WC future?
How do we make use of the CAC’s tax increment funds ($40 million) within the project area?
What is the action plan for implementation of the Vision and economic development?

Resources

CRA, City Planning Dept., DOT, MTA, Mayor’s L. A. Housing and Business Team and City Council members, Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corp., Local developers: Urban Partners, Accord Interest, Immersive Companies, KOAR, Khan Development, Wilshire/Western Developers, WCK Neighborhood Council, Southern California Association of Governments,
Local Government Commission, Trust for Public Land, Los Angeles American Planning Association, Los Angeles America Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Urban Land Institute,
Professionals, Local community organizations, Residents and local businesses

The Road Map to Sustainability

Different tools support different stages of community decision-making. Below is a list of some of the different stages of a typical planning process.
Engage Stakeholders – problem identification, determine “big picture” issues and goals, establish measures of success (indicators) (by way of workshops)
Inventory Conditions – create data infrastructure to support project (data needs, available data, collecting additional data), identify existing conditions (on the web site)
Analyze Trends – uncovering and analyzing trends and projections (on the web site)
Explore Options – seek solutions to problems, form options to address identified goals and issues (the view current draft vision and framework statement)
Assess Impacts – direct and indirect impacts from alternative actions including: fiscal, environmental, socio-economic, traffic
Action Plan with Prioritizes – defines process for project implementation and utilizes implementation tools – CRA, WCBIC, WCKNC, City
After all Discussions: Final Report on the results of the Discussions to be published as the Action Plan that implements the Wilshire Center Vision. Then monitor and update over the next five to six years this Action Plan.

Who Should Attend?

These Discussions are designed for a multidisciplinary audience of local stakeholders (residents and businesses), local elected officials, City department officials, planning and urban design professionals, developers, school officials, local non-profit organizations and others who are interested creating long-term economic, ecological and social sustainability for the Wilshire Center community.

Program Overview

How we shape Wilshire Center’s growth is crucial to making our community economically and environmentally healthier, safer, and more livable. An important measure of livability is how we plan for housing, work, and shopping, plus recreational and educational opportunities for people.

The Discussions will focus on the opportunities associated with designing the built, economic, ecological, and social environment. The Discussions will also include opportunities for participants and speakers to interact and network with each other.

Discussion Agendas

Each Discussion could be over 2 to 3 meetings of the CAC

Discussion One. What is an urban village concept and how to create one? How do we get to a jobs/housing balance and reduce auto use? This discussion aims at analyzing urban sustainable development through methods, tools and technologies: concept of sustainable development at the neighborhood scale, sustainable development issues, the shared diagnosis method for sustainable development, choice of the Action Plan, etc.
Possible presenter: Rick Cole, City Manager, City of Ventura, CA

Discussion Two. What is a sustainable, livable community based on smart growth principals? Livable Communities 101: Making the Multidisciplinary Connections,
This session will define livable communities’ strategies from a number of different perspectives, including planner, transportation, public health, and crime prevention. Learn the community elements that serve the overlapping needs of each of these disciplines. Possible presenter: Local Government Commission

Discussion Three. What are the trends within WC, such as, demographics, developments, education, government, business, and transportation? What are our assets and liabilities? This discussion will focuses on analyzing livable urban sustainable development from stakeholders' point of view and on the main role of participation in projects to ensure sustainability. Inventory Conditions – create data infrastructure to support project (data needs, available data, collecting additional data), identify existing conditions. Analyze Trends – uncovering and analyzing trends and projections. Possible Presenter: Mark Pisano, Executive Director, So. California Association of Governments

Discussion Four. Is the draft vision and principals our guide for the WC future? Where do we want be in five years or six years from now? Engage in a provocative exercise that will help the Community advance the sustainability agenda. Assess Impacts – direct and indirect impacts from alternative actions including: fiscal, environmental, socio-economic, traffic.

Discussion Five - The Best
This Discussion will focus on a slide show of the "best of" in pictures. The best of affordable housing, the best of TOD, the best transition, the best streetscape, the best illustration of mixed use, the best intersection, the best bike rack, etc. The presenter will also provide a context and suggest possible uses for this dynamic tool (community presentations, marketing, selling to skeptical neighborhoods, etc.). Possible presenter: Beth Steckler, Policy Director of Livable Places and Dan Burden, Founder, Walkable Communities

Discussion Six – Tools to Implement the Vision and Strategy
Enhanced Transportation Session 1: presentation by MTA & DOT
New Schools Development Session 2: presentation by LAUSD and David Abel
CRA WCK $40 Million Fund Session 3: presentation by CRA staff
Development Session 4: presentation by local developers of their projects (15 min. each)

Discussion Seven – Action Plan
What is the action plan for implementation of the Vision and Principals? The Vision begins with citizens’ aspirations for their community, and describing the goals with each other. As a result, the community responds by investigating the issues and recommending ways to achieve our aspirations. How do we make use of the CRA-CAC’s tax increment funds within the project area? The action plan is a detailed list of specific tasks that must be carried out in order to achieve the objectives that have been agreed upon in a framework or principals. The action plan will provide citizens, local governments, and neighborhood and community groups with specific direction regarding things they can and need to do in order to make the vision a reality. The action plan will also provide the basis for evaluating our progress in achieving the vision.

Discussion Eight: Strategy
The strategy is a list of goals; objectives and policies that will help people make the community vision a reality. It will include agreement on the things we all value in our community and believe are important to preserve and protect. It will not only document these values, it will provide recommendations on the things we can do if we want to change our future. Possible presenter: City Planner from LA City Planning Dept.

The Discussion concept was approved by the WC-K CRA CAC.