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As the impacts of the climate crisis continue to intensify, densely urbanized cities are recognizing their lack of preparedness for future extreme weather events. Many Southern California cities are working to develop Climate Action Plans to create safe and healthy futures for their residents. These plans help identify areas of improvement so that they can achieve their climate goals and adhere to the State of California’s emission reductions requirements.

Our study demonstrates the role of Landscape Architects in this process: cultivating creative and tailored solutions for cities as they retrofit to meet future benchmarks. For this project we partnered with Maywood, a small, one square-mile city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, where a dense population is surrounded by freeway traffic, heavy industry, and the Los Angeles River.

We met with various city leaders, both elected officials and city staff, to determine the scope of work and understand their needs and concerns. We connected with the community through participation in multiple civic events to learn about their interests and concerns. We collected and analyzed spatial data to understand systems and issues impacting daily life in Maywood. We also conducted numerous site visits where we walked the streets, talked with residents and business owners, dined in local restaurants, and visited Maywood’s parks.

Through our research and analysis, we found a number of challenges facing Maywood as it strives for resiliency in the face of climate change. The city is completely developed, which presents challenges to overcoming deficits in park land and has resulted in a high percentage of impervious surface.

The city is surrounded by a lot of industrial activity, which creates pollution concerns and contributes to significant industrial truck traffic through Maywood. Pollution, crime, and social challenges such as poverty present substantial challenges to the health and wellness of residents. Maywood’s density coupled with a lack of access to regional public transportation has created significant demand for personal vehicle use and correspondingly, for parking: on-street, driveways, and even front yards.

At the same time, there is a wealth of opportunities present in Maywood. The city’s small size creates a greater opportunity for walkability. There are existing public spaces that are beloved by the community as well as opportunities to create more in underutilized spaces. Maywood is centrally located with access to many regional amenities, most notably the Los Angeles River. Its unique Art Deco architecture and small-town feel present potential to establish a strong community identity.

Our vision is for Maywood’s landscape to reflect its residents, prioritizing their needs over industry. Our concept acknowledges the constraints of the city and proposes small, but mighty changes that give the community the tools to be resilient in the face of a changing climate. Our plan includes diverting truck traffic around the heart of the city, a dense ecological buffer for the city edges, converting inner city spaces to reflect the city’s identity, and developing a network of safe transportation and recreation options.