Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI)

Festival Trail co-founders, Eli Lipmen, Hilary Norton and Chris Torres, brought together over 100 people for our first Festival Trail community charrette at the beautiful Pico House, of El Pueblo Historic Monument. It was truly heartening to be in one room with our coalition partners, charting the pathways that will turn the big idea of the Festival Trail into a reality.  The only way to implement the Trail is through cross-sector collaborations and cutting through bureaucratic silos. The first charrette was a major milestone that could not have materialized without the support of our key partners, Somos Group, LA Commons, Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), and our fiscal sponsor California Community Foundation. We are energized and ready to work together! Thank you to Lime for sponsoring the event! Follow the link to read about what we heard from our coalition partners: https://lnkd.in/gQ4mn53u

We are delighted to share that the keynote at this year's LANI Community Forum will be a fireside chat with three powerhouse leaders in our community that you won't want to miss! In an informal conversation about transportation and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics will be Paul Krekorian, former City Councilmember (District 2) and newly appointed Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Office of Major Events, Los Angeles Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, and LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo. We'll learn about the plans underway for a car-free games for all, how the games will provide legacy infrastructure improvements for the region, and how challenges and opportunities are being met. Please plan to join us on Thursday, May 15, 8:00-1:00, at the California Endowment Center in #DTLA for a vibrant day of learning and resource-gathering. Registration opens on February 15 - mark your calendars! #LANIforum2025 #sharelearnconnect #ilovela

Our neighborhoods are more than places where we live; they are the heart of our city. We know how deeply Angelenos care about our communities, and we are committed to helping rebuild healthier, safer, and more connected environments. Whether directly or indirectly, we have all felt the impact of these fires and shared in the devastation inflicted on so many of our neighbors. To that end, we are ready to help tackle the myriad challenges we face and emerge stronger. We're here for you, L.A. #rebuild #newgrowth #opportunity #strongertogether

LANI ED Veronica Hahni presented at the 34th Annual UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium! The three-day summit's goal was to explore the challenges and opportunities of hosting global events coming to Los Angeles, including the World Cup and NBA All-Star Game in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the Olympics and Paralympics in 2028. Veronica spoke about the neighborhood-scale capital improvements that LANI has implemented over our 30-year history and how mega-events present an opportunity to scale up and expedite these kinds of improvements in communities where they are most needed. Building on the City of L.A.'s "Olympics for All" concept, Veronica and her fellow panelists focused on practical ways mega-events can increase equity and build community across the Los Angeles region. We look forward to continuing these conversations and then rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on new legacy projects for the people of Los Angeles! Community Arts Resources LA Commons

The backlog of broken sidewalks in the City of L.A. has been in the news recently, but LANI is helping to solve the problem by partnering with City Council District offices to expedite needed repairs. All our Program Managers must be proficient at assessing sidewalk conditions and managing the reconstruction process from permitting through procurement to final project delivery. Our Director of Programs, Anna Apostolos, trains our staff to gather the information that the City and contractors need to execute the jobs efficiently and cost-effectively. Ensuring our staff receives training in best practices is central to our work to provide a safe, equitable built environment for all.

We are proud to be awarded a School Greening grant from Cal Fire! With these funds, we'll be partnering with the Baldwin Hills Elementary School community and Los Angeles Unified School District to remove over 29,000 square feet of asphalt, plant 45 trees, and create natural outdoor spaces for learning and play!

LANI staff attended a symposium on "Urban Forestry in Changing Times: The Practice of Science and the Science of Practice." The day was hosted at the beautiful Angeles National Forest Headquarters. It was particularly great to hear several speakers reinforce the need for substantive, early community engagement. Thanks to the presenters and organizers!

Where you live, and the green space around you, can have a big impact on your health. Kaiser Permanente researchers found that people were healthier when they lived in areas surrounded by trees — and with low levels of air pollution. Read about our research: https://k-p.li/476a0z7

Over our 30-year history, LANI has interacted with tens of thousands of Angelenos to get input on projects designed to improve daily life. Community engagement is an essential way that we partner with residents, business owners, community groups, and local leaders to create walkable, green, safe neighborhoods with equitable access to resources, open spaces, public transit, and opportunity. #community #CommunityEngagement #neighborhood #ittakesaneighborhood #LocalPower

We love to see these trash-free, shady sidewalks and well maintained street trees in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter Business Improvement District! A business improvement district, or BID, is an area where services, activities, and programs that are "above and beyond" those provided by the city are paid for through a special assessment of local businesses. LANI is proud to manage two BIDs in the City of Los Angeles and to support businesses in providing services that benefit their neighborhoods.