On behalf of Christopher Hawthorne, Chief Design Officer for Mayor Garcetti, I am reaching out to solicit your firm’s involvement to help support the expansion of the Al Fresco Outdoor Dining Initiative in response to our ongoing pandemic crisis.
Is your firm willing to help provide pro-bono services to help LA-area restaurants expand their dining capacity into the public right-of-way?
Similar to the way the City of Los Angeles has phased-in the recent ’slow streets’ initiative, or the recent introduction of parklets, People St., and other temporary improvements to expand our public realm, the Mayor’s office is looking to connect local restaurant operators to more architects, landscape architects, and urban designers so that they’re able to expand their dining capacity onto sidewalks and parking lanes.
LADOT will be providing the ‘kit of parts’ and your firm would help the restaurant with spatial analysis, siting, and other design considerations that will help make their dining options safe, functional, optimal, and beautiful.
We realize budgets are tight and your availability will be quite limited. However, if you’re available to partner with this program please reach out to me ASAP (info below). We’re connecting volunteer firms with the Mayor’s office in time for their expected roll-out of this program later in June.
(Will Wright, Director, Governmental & Public Affairs, can be reached at: will@aialosangeles.org)