Imagine a Council District 13 where every block and business corridor is vibrant, clean, and truly welcoming—where residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs alike walk with comfort and pride, sheltered from heat by bountiful shade trees, and drawn by safe, lively public spaces. In this vision, our streets are not just paths for cars, but living public rooms: well-lit, cared-for, resilient to rising temperatures, and full of opportunity. Public and private partners work together to pick up every bit of trash, erase blight and graffiti, support both businesses and street vendors, house the unhoused with dignity, and keep every sidewalk not only safe—but inviting.

The result? Walkable, shade-filled neighborhoods that power business growth, support housing, and give all Angelenos access to the health, joy, and freedom that make LA’s great streets truly shine.

The Streets as We See Them: Challenges to Walkability, Comfort, and Prosperity

Across Council District 13, our neighborhoods and business corridors face a convergence of visible challenges that undermine walkability, deter investment, and sap community pride:

  • Trash: Overflowing city bins, windblown litter, and rampant illegal dumping turn sidewalks into eyesores and feed a sense of abandonment.

  • Graffiti: Constant tagging and vandalism escalate property costs, discourage repeat customers, and make corridors feel neglected.

  • Encampments: Sidewalk encampments block pedestrian access, create sanitation issues, and expose cracks in our housing and outreach systems.

  • Street Vendors: Vibrant but often unregulated, vending can lead to sidewalk congestion, additional litter, and disputes, while still providing cultural and economic value.

  • Crime: Property crime, visible drug use, and violence directly erode safety and investment, worsening vacancy and instability.

  • Abandoned Buildings & Blight: Boarded-up storefronts and vacant lots become magnets for dumping, graffiti, and crime, accelerating a cycle of decline.

  • Broken or Inadequate Lighting: Poor lighting makes streets less safe after dark and invites unwanted activity.

  • Damaged Sidewalks & Missing Amenities: Cracked pavement, missing benches, and a lack of restrooms make it harder and less appealing for people to walk, gather, or shop.

  • Heat and Lack of Shade: Our increasingly hot city means exposed corridors are often dangerously uncomfortable during the day. The urban heat island effect—caused by too much concrete, not enough trees, and trapped hot air—means temperatures in places like Hollywood and Echo Park are rising faster, with severe impacts on health, equity, and commerce. Without shade trees, reflective surfaces, water features, and thoughtful urban design, our streets can never truly be walkable or universally inviting.

Turning Challenges Into Walkable, Thriving Corridors

Reclaiming District 13’s streets means tackling each of these problems through a coordinated, people-first approach. Cleaner sidewalks, shade-filled and cooled with trees and water features, safe lighting, vibrant amenities, and responsive services will unlock the energy of our neighborhoods.

Walkable, comfortable, and equitable streets attract customers, drive business growth, foster housing opportunities, and help everyone—regardless of age or ability—enjoy the city’s full promise. Only by facing all these street-level realities together, and with urgency, can we restore prosperity and pride to every block in the district.

Why is Trash Piling Up in CD13?

Trash piles up in CD13 because illegal dumping, slow city response, overflowing or missing bins, and inadequate infrastructure combine to create daily eyesores and public health risks—especially in hard-hit areas like Hollywood and Echo Park. The problem is intensified around encampments, and when bins are absent or unserviced, residents and visitors are more likely to discard waste on the ground, fueling an ongoing cycle of neglect and decline.

Solutions CD13 Can Lead

  • Rapid Response Clean Team: Council-managed crews for bulk pickup, dumping abatement, and daily bin checks.

  • Bin Audit and Upgrades: Identify gaps, fast-track installation of smart, covered, or underground bins; ensure major corridors—Hollywood Blvd, Echo Park—lead by example.

  • Underground Bin Pilot Expansion: The underground trash bin solution has been discussed and studied in LA for over six years, but only recently has the City approved and started funding a formal pilot, with bins first installed in limited locations outside CD13. CD13 can break the cycle of delay by partnering with BIDs, businesses, and residents to co-fund and host these below-ground containers on problem corridors. By providing local investment and organizing a coalition to push LA Sanitation, your district can move to the front of the line—turning a long-stalled idea into a clean streets reality and a model for the city’s future

  • Real Public/Private Partnerships for Cleanliness: Bring BIDs, landlords, and nonprofits together to co-invest in trash infrastructure, frequent pickup, and shared monitoring, with council funds matching private commitments.

  • Transparent Data-Driven Accountability: Launch a public dashboard tracking bin locations, service requests, dumping reports, and response times.

  • Civic Engagement: Pair infrastructure upgrades with education, outreach, and programs like “adopt-a-bin” and block cleanups.

  • Rapid Bin Response Team: Commit council resources to daily bin inspection (especially after events/weekends), stopping overflow before it spreads.



Graffiti

Graffiti remains a stubborn and highly visible problem in Council District 13, undermining public safety and neighborhood pride. The responsibility for removing graffiti falls on property owners, but too often owners are slow to act or avoid abatement—leading to more vandalism, higher costs, and damaged reputations for entire corridors. Persistent graffiti not only signals neglect, it fuels a cycle of dumping, crime, and business erosion. Solving it means both holding owners accountable for cleanup and bringing them to the table to collaborate on rapid response and prevention programs.

Here are actionable solutions for graffiti in Council District 13, focused on accountability, rapid response, and collaboration:

Solutions for Graffiti

  • Enforce Owner Responsibility:
    Hold property owners accountable for swift removal by increasing outreach, reminders, and—when necessary—escalating enforcement for properties that allow graffiti to linger. For vacant or blighted buildings, use city authority to abate and recover costs on the owner’s behalf.​

  • Rapid Removal Teams:
    Expand funding and partnerships with the Office of Community Beautification and local nonprofits to provide graffiti removal within 24–48 hours of reporting. Speed is key: quick removal deters repeat tagging and sends a clear message that vandalism won’t be tolerated.​

  • Consent for Free City Clean-Up:
    Streamline the process for property owners to grant ongoing consent to city abatement teams, ensuring free and fast removal without bureaucratic delays.​

  • Anti-Graffiti Coatings & Surface Treatments:
    Offer incentives or matching grants for businesses and property owners to install anti-graffiti and anti-etch coatings on vulnerable surfaces, reducing long-term cleanup costs and effort.

  • Corridor Partnerships & Standards:
    Bring together BIDs, business owners, neighborhood groups, and city agencies to set shared standards for “graffiti-free” blocks, coordinate regular patrols, and promote mutual support for quick action.

  • Data Transparency & Recognition:
    Track and publicly report graffiti incidents, response times, and abatement rates by corridor—rewarding property owners who keep buildings graffiti-free and focusing enforcement where problems persist.

  • Community Engagement:
    Launch local mural projects and encourage youth-led public art in partnership with schools and artists as a long-term deterrent strategy, building pride and ownership in public space.