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, FUSE Executive Fellow Angelica Frias formulated a five-year strategic plan for these technologies, establishing BSL as a leader in the development of Smart City L.A, the city’s plan to modernize its technological infrastructure. She also led the Bureau’s rebranding campaign, including its new logo and name, L.A. Lights.
Angelica researched and defined objectives for new smart technologies, set BSL goals and provided a roadmap for implementation. To ensure the plan addressed community needs, she conducted a survey of residents that yielded more than 500 responses, with an intentional focus on broad community inclusion. Based on this input, she developed equity-centered action plans for each of the Bureau’s core business groups and established execution teams to strengthen buy-in across the organization. To keep the community engaged, Angelica developed tools and updated BSL’s website to include a fully functional self-service portal for stakeholders, which will help complete the bureau’s rebranding campaign. Working closely with Bureau staff, she used change management techniques to help staff understand their roles in the new strategic plan and carry the plan forward in the years to come.
ANGELICA M. FRIAS is a strategist focused on designing transformative community impact projects to build sustainable communities. She brings 16 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships, and program design from various sectors, including energy sustainability, telecommunications, and healthcare. Most recently, she has focused on consulting and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams, advising on outreach, project design, and community development. Previously, Angelica was a senior manager with Pacific Gas and Electric’s Low-Income Programs and Strategies division, where she led cross-product marketing. Angelica holds an M.S. in urban planning from Cal Poly Pomona and a B.A. in political science from California State University, Los Angeles.
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