Play Streets with LADOT

Community Arts Resources (CARS) has teamed up with Alta and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to produce arts and culture centered events as part of LADOT's Play Streets Program.

Begun in summer 2015, Play Streets is an LADOT program that allows residents to apply to temporarily close a small portion of their neighborhood to car traffic, allowing the community the opportunity to transform their street into a place where neighbors of all ages are free to gather and play. Play Streets are typically one day, lasting four to eight hours. The Los Angeles Play Streets Program prioritizes park poor communities, is community driven, and allows residents the opportunity to temporarily choose how streets can be used as public spaces.

CARS is partnering with our network of community-based organizations to enhance the Play Streets vision and create events which prioritizes arts and culture as well as neighborhood and community engagement.

CARS works with community partners to:

Close the street to traffic and remove any unwanted vehicles
Coordinate meetings and services between all parties involved
Strategize to figure out the what, where, and with whom of the event
Produce the day of the event
Curate creative programming

CARS works with the community partners to create an event that:

Includes arts and culture as an integral part of their structure and programming
Activates an area that is no longer than 800 feet (up to an 1/8 mile)
Are themed in concert with the organization's mission
Occurs in tandem with an existing or planned program
Attracts at least 400 to 1000 people over the course of the day
Engages with families and people in the community
Is fun, interactive, and free
Includes an area for local stakeholders which could include local businesses, other community-based organizations, local food trucks, etc.
Includes a place for people to eat together which could include a food giveaway

Play Streets Events To Date:

December 12, 2022
Community Partner: Casa Esperanza & Pacoima Beautiful
Location: Blythe Street, Panorama City