The Little Tokyo Community Council and Little Tokyo Service Center are collaborating with a range of community and environmental advocates to help create green, inclusive revitalization in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles.
In partnership with a professional design, engineering, and economic consulting team, LTCC and LTSC want to hear your thoughts as community stakeholders to envision and create state-of-the-art plans for properties around the planned Regional Connector station that will advance the goal of sustainable neighborhood revitalization and cultural preservation.
“With your help and input, the sustainable redevelopment of these sites will have a catalytic effect on the rest of the neighborhood,” the two groups said in a statement. “Please join us for a multi-day community forum to generate our vision for a truly sustainable Little Tokyo and to identify strategies that promote our environmental, economic, community and cultural values and aspirations.”
At the forum, there will be a variety of interactive activities and educational tables to gather community input, including specific conversations and listening stations to learn more about different parts of the community. There will also be an opportunity to learn about the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Neighborhood Development sustainability framework, and how that can help inform Little Tokyo’s environmental vision and goals.
The schedule is as follows:
• Day 1, Friday, Sept. 27, at Koyasan Buddhist Temple, 342 E. First St. Welcome lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m. (lunch provided) with overview presentation and conversation. Open interactive workshop session to gather community input from 2 to 6 p.m. (refreshments provided). Participants can drop by any time and stay any length of time. Business focus group for small-business/property owners from 3 to 4:30 p.m. (refreshments provided). Informal cocktail hour at 6 p.m. (location TBD)
• Day 2, Saturday, Sept. 28, at Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St. Open interactive workshop session and senior resident focus group from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (refreshments provided). Youth focus group from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (refreshments provided). Community presentation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Japanese American National Museum’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum, 111 N. Central Ave. (refreshments provided). Informal cocktail hour at 8 p.m. (location TBD)
• Day 3, Sunday, Sept. 29, at Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 815 E. First St. Community open house from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (refreshments provided). Public invited to view design boards presenting a further refined preferred vision scenario, provide additional feedback, and interact with the resource team.
RSVP requested. Locations subject to change. Japanese translation available and Korean translation upon request. For more information, go online to www.LITTLETOKYOLA.org or contact LTSC Community Development Corporation Director of Planning Thomas Yee at (213) 473-3030 or TYEE@LTSC.org.
Resource team: Little Tokyo Community Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, Enterprise Community Partners Inc., Local Initiatives Support Corporation-Los Angeles, Mithun, Mike Okamoto & Associates Inc., Puttman Infrastructure Inc., Keyser Marston Associates, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors LLC
Sponsors: Natural Resources Defense Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation-Los Angeles, Enterprise Community Partners Inc., JPMorgan Chase, East West Players, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Japanese American National Museum, Koyasan Buddhist Temple, Little Tokyo Koban, Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple