Investment in Art and Culture: Destination Crenshaw Opens a New Door

8.28.2020 — LISC StoriesEconomic Development

Today in Los Angeles, as we consider new approaches to community safety, policing is no longer at the top of the agenda. Investment in communities, not criminalization, is being reexamined as a primary safety mechanism, and calls for defunding the police aim to instead fund empowerment through education and jobs. One thoughtful solution to bringing safety to our communities is the development of creative placemaking projects throughout Los Angeles.

Creative placemaking is defined as the action of using the arts and cultural activities within community development to “better reflect and celebrate local culture, heritage, and values.” Its impact is increased economic development and social cohesion as well as increased community safety. In a 2018 collaborative study with the Urban Institute, LISC LA explored the ways in which creative placemaking has increased public safety through transforming underused public spaces, creating opportunities for skill building, and developing an environment for police and community interaction and reconciliation. Here in Los Angeles, LISC LA is making this a reality by supporting the ongoing development of Destination Crenshaw.

Crenshaw is the largest black community west of the Mississippi and a hub of Black activism and culture. When in 2018 the City announced the building of the Crenshaw/LAX metro line along the historic Crenshaw Boulevard, a plan that would disrupt the main pedestrian street of the African American community and eliminate 300+ parking spaces for small businesses, it was not without controversy. As a result of the conversation that sparked from this, the Crenshaw community, along with well known voices of Nipsey Hussle, Ron Finley, and other key community partners, decided to respond by turning it to their advantage. Through the development of 100 permanent art installations showcasing the history and culture of Black LA, the replanting of trees cut to build the metro line, and ten new parks and miniparks, they aim to not only restore the area but garner new attention. The resulting development, Destination Crenshaw, will be a 1.3 mile unapologetically black open air museum celebrating Black Angelenos and with the potential to bring together the larger Angeleno community.

The goals of Destination Crenshaw are four-fold: developing a social infrastructure to bolster economic security and entrepreneurship, taking community ownership through amplifying untold stories of Black Los Angeles, enhancing the existing small businesses ecosystem through increasing foot traffic and facade improvements, and finally, increasing public safety. By attracting community members and visitors, the result will be an even more vibrant commercial and cultural corridor that will enhance safety for the community through pedestrian traffic and economic and social empowerment. All this in addition to design elements including lighting and traffic signals, visible crosswalks, buffered bike lanes, outdoor seating, and parks that will transform the area into one serving the community and its safety.

As the longstanding African American community in Crenshaw seeks to prevent gentrification following the building of the metro line, the development of Destination Crenshaw permanently establishes the Black Angeleno legacy along Crenshaw Boulevard. Projects like these remind us that, in fact, investment in existing communities can bring about greater safety — a victory over those who see gentrification as a strategy for crime prevention. Bringing together community leaders and stakeholders to enhance the existing infrastructure and the cultural legacy of Crenshaw, Destination Crenshaw is an emerging example of how to bring about safety through community-led development here in Los Angeles.

Destination Crenshaw is just the beginning of what we hope will be a further development of creative placemaking throughout Los Angeles, and across the country. In September, LISC LA will be launching the grant period for our South LA Economic Inclusion Plan, funding organizations and initiatives that support local businesses, workforce development, and placekeeping and district development in the area. In fact, LISC LA will be investing in DC THRIVE, an effort to support Crenshaw based artists and small businesses, for Destination Crenshaw, further expanding our support of the project. Funding initiatives like these are a key to creating stronger, economically and socially vibrant communities locally and nationally. LISC LA will continue to champion projects of creative placemaking and community empowerment to bring about a safer and more just Los Angeles.

Investment in Art and Culture: Destination Crenshaw Opens a New Door

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