“THE POP-UP DEMONSTRATION WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWED THE COMMUNITY TO IMAGINE HOW A DEAD END STREET COULD BECOME A PUBLIC SPACE.” - MAX PODEMSKI seating, workout equipment, pin-wheel striped paint, planters, delineators, and wayfinding signs. The flexible nature of the interim design allows for ongoing iteration of the space in response to a deepened understanding of community needs. In early 2016, for example, a full six months after the ribbon cutting, Pacoima Beautiful added a community event board, additional trash cans, and a picnic table. After observing how many children were frequently playing in the plaza, the community also added play equipment. The Bradley Avenue Plaza has even catalyzed a project adjacent to the plaza. Pacoima Beautiful has secured funding for a green alley that will be adjacent to the plaza which will strengthen the connection between San Fernando Gardens and the plaza. The alley will have a shared space design that will carry elements of the plaza into the alley. Pacoima Beautiful will continue to make iterations to the space, ensuring that the eventual permanent plaza will align with user needs. The demonstration and pilot plazas also function to clearly illustrate a high level of community support for the project; so much so that LADOT and the local council office are currently working with Pacoima Beautiful to refine the design and make the plaza permanent.

LESSONS LEARNED Max Podemski, the Planning Director at Pacoima Beautiful, notes that, “The pop-up demonstration was important because it allowed the community to imagine how a dead end street could become a public space.” Pacoima Beautiful and LADOT were able to continue improving the plaza by refining the design based on community needs and use of the space. In this way, Bradley Avenue Plaza illustrates how flexibility in the interim-design time interval can help the project leaders iterate to achieve a better long-term project.

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Top: A Place It! workshop led by James Rojas occured during the one-day demonstration project (Max Podemski). Bottom left and right: From demonstration to interim design, a range of physical activities bring life to Bradley Avenue Plaza (LADOT / James Simmons).