Did you see us? LASA moved around the city in November!
We conveyed at LA Plaza for a day considering transportation in the city today and planning for the city of tomorrow. Kevin Ocubillo from LADOT taught us, as best summarized by Barker, to “think about streets, their function, and what you can do with them.” Ben shared that Kevin demonstrated to him “all the possibilities that come from something as simple as a street.” Catherine reflected that she “didn’t quite realize how much they handle” – and was most excited about the discussion of gondolas to Dodger Stadium.
Moving from discussions of extensions of Metro lines and flying taxis, we broke into groups to use the transportation system to go to “Here” at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, The Biddy Mason Memorial, LA State Historic Park, and “Sin Censura” at the Natural History Museum. Some groups tried to navigate without a map – hard copy or digital. Some used their phones and Metro signs. Some confidently traveled to their destination and others got a bit lost.
LASA students spoke to travelers – including a man taking the bus from Union Station to Long Beach. And they considered ways for LADOT to utilize future resources, such as Anna’s suggestion that they invest in “strengthening” the system we have and on the “disconnect. . . starting around where the metro ends and the buses get scarce.” Kate reflected that breaking up into smaller groups and venturing out allowed her group “independence in getting to explore and adventure on our own” and solve problems together.
After returning to LA Plaza and sharing our adventures, LASA welcomed Lindsey, Luis, and Collin from the Bowtie Storytellers Project to share about opportunities for LASA students to further engage and to learn about their important work.
Thanks to everyone for such a great November. We wish you happy holidays and look forward to our next meeting in January!
