Los Angeles, CA

Under mayoral guidance, the City of Los Angeles acknowledges the urgent need to address the climate crisis as a pivotal opportunity for transformative change. Recognizing the historical environmental injustices affecting marginalized communities, Los Angeles aims to lead by example, prioritizing the interests of communities of color and working-class individuals. The... Read more

LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) mobilizes 3,200 staff to serve 4 million Angelenos through essential waste management services, including trash collection, wastewater management, and watershed protection. Despite the critical role LASAN plays in maintaining Los Angeles' sustainability and cleanliness, the organization faces equity challenges, particularly in career advancement and telework... Read more

The City of Los Angeles is embarking on a project in collaboration with FUSE to evaluate and update the Urban Forestry Division (UFD) fee schedule within the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Street Services. With the management of over 700,000 trees along 6,500 miles of public roads, the UFD... Read more

The City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA) is collaborating with FUSE to enhance the Investigation and Enforcement Division (IED), addressing the challenge of rising service requests, permit applications, and unpermitted activities with limited resources. Currently, the IED department is charged with evaluating, researching, and processing over 20,000... Read more

The City of Los Angeles aims to realize its SmartLA 2028 vision, ensuring equitable access to technology, economic opportunities, and public services. The initiative acknowledges the digital disparities prevalent in the city, particularly affecting marginalized communities. To address this, the Mayor’s Office collaborates with FUSE to develop a comprehensive Digital... Read more

The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL), with a rich history of innovation, has played a pivotal role in making Los Angeles a pioneering 5G city. In response to the growing digital divide, especially in under-connected communities like Crenshaw Boulevard, BSL is leveraging funds from the American Rescue Plan... Read more

In response to the escalating urban heat crisis in Los Angeles exacerbated by climate change, the City, in collaboration with FUSE, is implementing the Extreme Heat Toolkit. The project addresses the disproportionate impact of heat waves on marginalized neighborhoods. The initiative, led by StreetsLA, involves a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of... Read more

The City of Los Angeles embarked on the LA River Revitalization Master Plan in 2007, transforming the Los Angeles River into a vibrant and accessible space. The 100 Acre Partnership, a collaboration between the City, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, focuses on... Read more

The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 73 locations, serving over 4 million people who speak more than 220 languages. The library provides internet connectivity and various programs to help residents access computer and internet resources. As a front line for residents to access other services, the library is leading... Read more

The City of Los Angeles is addressing the issue of the digital divide and lack of high-speed internet access, particularly in low-income communities and among people of color. It is leveraging federal grant funds to build fiber conduits and install "dark" fiber, making it easier for internet service providers to... Read more

Serving 4 million businesses and residents in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal water and power utility in America. A 2017 partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory yielded the comprehensive LA100 study. The study analyzed potential community pathways to achieving... Read more

The Los Angeles Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second-largest municipal health system in the nation, acting as a sprawling safety-net system, primarily serving Black and Hispanic and low-income populations – residents who are uninsured or covered by Medi-Cal. Despite continuous improvements DHS has undertaken to respond to changes... Read more

The City of Los Angeles knows that taking immediate action to sustain clean air, water and healthy living conditions is a moral imperative. Building on its initial Sustainable City Plan (2015), the City’s Paris-compatible Green New Deal (2019) laid out ambitious targets to directly address issues ranging from inequitable access... Read more

Small businesses play a critical role in the US economy as employers, sources of innovation, and community centers. But small businesses, particularly those owned by women and people of color, have been uniquely vulnerable to the economic fallouts of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Los Angeles has been a hotspot... Read more

The impact of Covid-19 has laid bare many existing inequities, and civic leaders in Los Angeles are determined to turn this moment into a movement for real reform. The city has already taken steps to inject equity into government operations and policies, including updating police tactics and investing $250 million... Read more

The L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) provides reliable and safe water and electricity to 4 million residents and businesses, while also striving to provide affordable utilities to the city’s most vulnerable residents. LADWP leadership recognizes that the health and economic crises spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted... Read more

The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA) maintains 23,000 miles of car, bike, and pedestrian lanes per year. After power generation, paving streets is one of the leading producers of greenhouse gas in a municipality’s operations. StreetsLA is committed to finding new ways to pave roads, bike paths and... Read more

The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering is experiencing increased demand for its services. At the same time, a quarter of its employees are nearing retirement. The Bureau recognizes the need to update its infrastructure and create a shared library of digital content to ensure an effective knowledge transfer of ongoing... Read more

With nearly a third of workers close to retirement, the Los Angeles Office of Finance was seeking new strategies for recruitment and retention of staff, not only to bring in qualified employees but also to build a pipeline within the department of leaders who feel a sense of stewardship over... Read more

The Los Angeles City Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) has taken on several smart city initiatives, such as adding new technologies—Wi-Fi, EV charging stations, sensor technologies, safety cameras, and solar panels—to street lights to enhance services for residents, improve safety and sustainability, and potentially raise revenue. To support this work,... Read more

In response to the more than 50 million visitors who arrive in Los Angeles each year, the city’s Department of Convention & Tourism Development (CTD) is working on a master plan for tourism. The first long-term strategic plan around tourism ever undertaken by the city, it addresses infrastructure, capacity, and... Read more

A significant number of the Los Angeles Public Library’s (LAPL’s) more than 1,500 employees are nearing retirement. To prepare for this eventuality, LAPL sought to create a development plan that would foster creative, forward-looking leaders who can leverage new capabilities and improve community responsiveness. To address these goals, FUSE Executive... Read more

To help reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing, the Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Investment is working to establish a Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to develop its own financial resources. To that end, FUSE Executive Fellow David Spirakis created a business plan and organizational structure for the HFA,... Read more

Los Angeles is seeking to increase participation in the city’s vibrant grassroots electoral system, one of the largest in the nation. The City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, or Empower L.A., engaged FUSE executive fellow Aparna Mukherjee to help increase civic engagement among young people, and to support... Read more

With more than 40 percent of its employees eligible to retire by 2020, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) is working aggressively to attract and retain talent as new technologies are disrupting conventional transportation systems. The agency enlisted FUSE executive fellow Andrea Lipton to develop a leadership training program... Read more

The city of Los Angeles recently enacted an ordinance to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. The city’s Bureau of Contract Administration worked with FUSE executive fellow Mark Lee to support implementation of the wage increase, which is expected to benefit more than half a million... Read more

In an effort to better manage its assets, the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID), which develops and preserves affordable housing, neighborhood investments, and social services for low- and moderate-income families, created an Asset Management Division. To help the division improve its operations, FUSE Executive Fellow Sean Doss... Read more

The City of Los Angeles is working to improve quality of life for all residents, including underserved communities, through the use of data, technology, and user experience design. To help advance this goal, the City of Los Angeles’ Information Technology Agency (ITA) hired FUSE Executive Fellow Dawn Comer to develop... Read more

Los Angeles is working to strengthen its support for small businesses, particularly those in traditionally underserved neighborhoods, by developing better communications with business owners about available resources. The city’s Office of Finance recruited FUSE Executive Fellow Rafael Bracero to increase the visibility of support services available to small business owners... Read more

Los Angeles offers supportive services to people experiencing homelessness, and at the same time it works to keep public spaces safe and clean. To this end, FUSE executive fellow Ann Zald helped the Bureau of Sanitation and Environment improve its processes for homeless encampment cleanup and waste collection. She also... Read more

Mark was tasked with improving operations in Los Angeles to produce more livable, economically viable neighborhoods. During his fellowship, he worked with the Office of the City Administrative Officer to design and advance reforms of the city’s public works departments, business improvement districts program, and quality of life enforcement teams.... Read more

Los Angeles has one of the largest immigrant populations in the country and estimates that 800,000 individuals are eligible for citizenship, but may not be pursuing that status because of inherent barriers in the systems. The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) recently launched a variety of programs to help immigrants... Read more

With an outdated infrastructure that is ill equipped to serve its large and growing population, Los Angeles is in need of major public works and infrastructure development, including new roads and bridges, improving water treatment plants, revitalizing open spaces, and repairing waterways. Because the high demand for such projects significantly... Read more

Los Angeles was named by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the official U.S. Bid City to host the 2024 Olympics. The bid, which creates the potential for the city to develop its infrastructure, increase its revenue, and elevate itself on the international stage, requires an enormous financial and logistical commitment.... Read more

Immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners have the potential to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. However, limited English language skills and educational experience, citizenship status, and other obstacles can make navigating the process of opening or expanding a business especially challenging. The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs... Read more

Los Angeles faces a significant challenge in addressing its homelessness crisis. While multiple city departments and agencies are currently engaged with homeless individuals and families, their approaches are not well coordinated. This causes inconsistency of response, high expenditures, and service redundancy. The City Administrative Officer hired Geoff to work with... Read more

The City of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Works (DPW) oversees the delivery of critical infrastructure, services and systems that are vital for the quality of life and public safety of city residents. FUSE worked with the City Administrative Officer to assess the current state of Public Works, evaluate options... Read more

Los Angeles, like many major U.S. cities, is facing a housing affordability crisis. While the city has a severe shortage of affordable housing, prices have grown four times faster than incomes since 2000. FUSE executive fellow Frederick White worked with the Office of the City Administrative Officer and other departments... Read more

The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the United States. While the port is a model of innovation and sustainability, it must also keep up with increasing competition and continue to improve its operations. FUSE executive fellow Andrew Scott’s work with the port focused on developing... Read more

Los Angeles employs nearly 50,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the region. To achieve its goal of creating a healthier, happier workforce, the city’s Personnel Department launched a Wellness Program, beginning with the 24,000 members of its Flex Benefits Program. FUSE Executive Fellow Joan Centanno led... Read more

The Central Library and the 72 branches of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) serve the largest population of any public library system in the country. The library operates a range of community impact programs to help Angelenos with school and career, financial planning, health education, homeless and veterans’ affairs,... Read more

Mobilizing for the day when autonomous vehicle (AV) technology will redefine the world of automobiles and mobility at large, Los Angeles hired FUSE Executive Fellow Michael Lim to develop a comprehensive business plan that addresses the increasingly important need for investment in autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure to support them.... Read more

The L.A. Department of Transportation manages one of the largest and most complex transportation systems in the country. FUSE Executive Fellow Ray Cheung helped develop the department’s first five-year capital plan, identifying short-term and long-term project priorities and guiding the department’s policies for selecting, designing, financing, and implementing projects. Ray... Read more

LAX, the world’s busiest airport, is currently engaged in an $8.5 billion capital improvement plan. This seven-year project will generate about 40,000 jobs and provide substantial economic opportunities for construction-related companies and other businesses. FUSE executive fellow Hana Rhee helped develop a strategic plan to engage the community in this... Read more

The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering plays a unique role in overseeing the changing needs of the dynamic city through projects that touch on almost every aspect of life for city residents – from the revitalization of the Los Angeles River to the construction of the Mid Valley Intergenerational Multipurpose... Read more