NSBN Projects - Mid-City Los Angeles

"With the assistance of New Schools Better Neighborhoods, we captured a preliminary vision of what can happen in neighborhoods as we redevelop housing, schools, and open space. We successfully managed increasing densities in housing . . . [and] we were able to, I think, create a common vision for what could happen on this site."

John Wolter
Project Manager, A Community of Friends

The Westlake community, just west of Downtown L.A., successfully completed a collaborative master planning effort spearheaded by NSBN. Instead of displacing A Community Friends' (ACOF) affordable family housing to make way for a new primary center, the community will have not only a new school, but family housing, additional open space, a Boys & Girls Club and, beyond all expectations, an early education center. Parents and community stakeholders participated in a six-month collaborative planning process, which culminated in a joint use development whose major components were adopted by LAUSD and ACOF. Both will begin construction on this model joint-use project in fall 2006 and construction is scheduled for completion in fall 2008.