Hollywood Central Park proves that LA is the Best Place to Play

Central LA

Hollywood

Conduct research

Engage residents and stakeholders

Mobilize for systems change

Advocate with policymakers and leaders

Implement and track policy

Stimulate economic growth/development and enhance economic competitiveness through design. LA becomes leader in sustainable cities and livable communities.

Access to open space and park facilities

Residents within 1⁄4 mile of a park (Dream Metric)

Number of residents with easy access to a “vibrant” park (Dream Metric)

Number of parks with intergenerational play opportunities (Dream Metric)

Number (and quality) of informal spaces for play (Dream Metric)

There are many exciting ways the Hollywood Central Park will make the LA the best place to play. It will offer myriad recreational amenities like children’s playgrounds, baseball diamond, library, amphitheater, walking/running trails, and picnic areas.

Most importantly, it will improve the quality of life for more than 150,000 residents, including 30,000 children, who live within a one-mile radius of HCP. HCP is located in Council District 13, which has among the lowest resident to park space ratios in the state. While the City Charter requires 2 acres of open space per 1000 residents, Hollywood only has 0.02 acres of open space per 1000 residents. Beyond the recreational benefits, the Hollywood Central Park will boost the economy by creating more than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs, while the vastly increased green space and trees will help clean the air and promote a healthier urban living environment.

With this one project, Los Angeles will address the economy, the environment, the health of its residents and their quality of life. As a leader in sustainable cities and livable communities, LA will, without a doubt, be the best place to play.

The Park design will be key in achieving these objectives. The best design for the Hollywood Central Park will only be achieved by utilizing the uniquely qualified, creative, and visionary talents of local architects and landscape architects who genuinely understand the complexities of designing open space for a city of 465 square miles. Our LA 2050 proposal seeks to identify the best and brightest architectural minds in Los Angeles through a design competition to guarantee that LA is the best place to play.

The HCP Design Competition has 3 phases. Phase 1 is a conceptual proposal clearly describing the park design and its relationship to Hollywood. Phase 2 is a full-scale design of a fully realized public space that meets HCP Design Guidelines. Phase 3 is a Citywide Exhibition Event for the top 5 proposals. To ensure a diversity of ideas and to level the playing field for emerging architects, designers and smaller firms, proposers moving onto Phase 2 will be required to spend no more than $5000 on their submissions. Throughout this process, we will engage not only architects and park supporters, but also residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to collaboratively harness the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results.

The Design Competition will be evaluated by a jury comprised of participants from the Mayor’s office, Council District 13, Planning Department, Recreation and Parks Department, Promise Zone, leaders from the architecture/landscape design community, community residents, stakeholders and FHCP representatives.

The jury will evaluate Park designs using the following criteria.

1. Does the design meet the HCP Park Ethic of service to Community, Well-Being and Sustainability?

2. Does the HCP Design enhance the unique characteristics of surrounding communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods?

3. Does the HCP Design enhance and encourage such strategies as transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling—to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard viewscapes/landscapes?

4. Does the HCP Design prove that HCP could only exist in Hollywood, California?

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Publicity/awareness (social capital)

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