NELA Vision Plan

How can a collaboration of interdisciplinary entities present a cohesive narrative for the future vision of the Los Angeles Riverfront District?

The Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative (NELA RC) is an interdisciplinary partnership that builds on the momentum to transform the communities along the Los Angeles River into a riverfront district. The effort celebrates the riverfront neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, and Lincoln Heights.

The NELA RC is supported by the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an interagency partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment.

NELA RC engaged LA-Más to help shape the story of the five communities and their vision for the Riverfront District through two strategic processes: a series of community workshops on the built environment and a design competition.

Additionally, being a collective of diverse disciplinary entities, NELA RC needed a cohesive document that translated the research processes to potential developers and supporters. Working together with the collaborative, we produced the visual design to tell the larger vision for the Riverfront District and frame their narrative in a compelling way. The final output, a printed document with an accompanying digital version, and a printed digest version were distributed widely through the NELA RC entities.