From Parks & POPS to Sidewalks & Alleyways
Public space in the city encompasses an array of different types of assets, sharing the one core attribute that they are accessible to the general public.
The most familiar and prominent form of public space is public parks. Owned and operated by the government, they are intended to be places of activity for people to recreate, relax, and reflect. In the urban context, they can serve as key nexus points for a variety of communities.
DTLA Parks
Dense urban centers like DTLA don’t always have a lot of major public parks, but they often have a collection of privately owned and operated, but publicly accessible, spaces known as POPS.
DTLA has a wealth of POPS, which have many of the same qualities as a public park and can be adapted to serve a broader mix of users and uses. These spaces have tremendous potential to enhance the DTLA experience if they are appropriately utilized, managed, and programmed.
DTLA POPS
Connecting the parks and POPS are sidewalks, walkways, and interstitial spaces such as alleyways. While these are the most traversed public spaces in Downtown, they often receive the least attention, in part because making significant improvements involves a range of complex factors. Nevertheless, several significant streetscape improvements have been delivered over the years in Downtown LA.
Streetscape Improvements & Interstitial Open Space
Because the visual appeal of the streetscape fundamentally contributes to walkability, it is also worth considering how building facades, storefronts, fencing, and other private structures contribute to the overall experience of the public realm. Of particular importance are popular destinations such as open-air retail centers and areas where there is a high concentration of retail storefronts.
Open Retail and Streetfront Clusters
Relatedly, art can be a critical component of the public space experience: whether it is officially designated as public art; private artwork that is visible to the public such as the many murals that use full buildings as their canvas; or even a performance that takes place in the public realm. This map includes just a small sampling of well over 200 individual pieces of public sculpture and murals in DTLA.