River, a 51-mile, concrete channel running through 17 cities and bounded on both sides by transportation infrastructure.

Our group met with River LA to learn about ambitious plans to revitalize the L.A. This history has often led to problems for the region, but it has also shaped a place where people and institutions are constantly thinking about energy and green technology, presenting opportunities to develop innovative solutions across the spectrum of sustainability issues. Los Angeles has a long history of being on the forefront of energy challenges and opportunities, as an early frontier in oil extraction, home to a hyper-engineered water infrastructure, and as the poster child of energy-intensive sprawl. In spite (or perhaps because) of L.A.’s history of civil and ethnic unrest, individual investments in community leaders, large-scale mobilizations, and sustained community organizing have been key to tackling the most intractable challenges of the region. Working with its student youth leaders, Community Coalition built alliances with families, community organizations, and business interests to adopt a district-wide college prep curriculum for the Los Angeles Unified School District. For example, Community Coalition identified the challenge of limited access to college preparatory classes in South L.A., exemplified by the existence of more cosmetology than chemistry classes in low-income communities. The panelists attributed these successes to L.A.’s strong labor movement and investments in community organizing to empower and strengthen leaders in diverse communities. Harris-Dawson highlighted L.A.’s progressive renaissance, noting the recent passage of a $15/hour minimum wage, dramatic improvements in high school graduation rates, and forward-thinking immigration policies. In South L.A., local labor leader Ada Briceño, city councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and Community Coalition president Alberto Retana discussed other successful community-based coalitions.

Following this success, LTSC was also part of an alliance that worked with residents to develop a community vision for future green redevelopment, culminating in the Sustainable Little Tokyo plan. Having established lasting collaborations with partner organizations through its affordable housing expertise, LTSC was able to mobilize its partners to move a proposed at-grade rail line to an underground station that was less disruptive to the surrounding residential and commercial tenants. (Philadelphia’s Chinatown has also faced development pressures from the Gallery, Convention Center, and proposed stadiums), Little Tokyo has been able to work closely with community partners to build diverse coalitions to preserve the heritage of the neighborhood and its small businesses. While these challenges are not unique to L.A. Little Tokyo, an ethnically Japanese American historic district located in downtown L.A., has faced redevelopment pressures for the last half century, starting with the construction of the LAPD headquarters in the 1950s. reinforced the value of cross-cultural coalitions that have driven positive neighborhood development and political change in the region. Our visits to Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) and Community Coalition in South L.A. One of the most striking themes of this year’s GPLEX was the importance and success of coalition building in Los Angeles, particularly in the wake of the 1992 civil unrest. explorations.ĭIVERSE COALITIONS ARE PRESERVING AND TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES While we are all still digesting much of what we saw and learned in Los Angeles, below are some key takeaways that stood out for Economy League staff from our L.A. With 132 business and civic leaders in attendance, the 2016 Exchange featured its largest and most diverse group to date.Ī major part of each year’s GPLEX are the regional explorations, when we take members of our delegation out of the conference hotel and into the community to visit organizations and meet with local leaders doing exciting regional improvement work on the ground. This year marked the eleventh iteration of the Exchange, an Economy League initiative that now claims more than 700 alumni who are leading organizations and institutions across the Greater Philadelphia region. It’s been a few weeks since we returned from Los Angeles after an eventful four days at the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange.

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