Public housing re-imagined: Transforming a Los Angeles public housing project into a livable neighborhood
William Mead Homes, a sprawling public housing development, remains mostly unchanged since it was built during WWII. Located in Mission Junction, a forgotten industrial neighborhood, it’s just a stone’s throw from Downtown LA. Of around 23,000 Angelinos living in subsidized housing, 1,400 call it home, however, that number is a tiny fraction of the waitlist for housing. More housing is desperately needed, ideally accessible to transit, jobs, and services.

This project capitalizes on one of the City’s most valuable assets — underutilized land it already owns in a central location — to address the housing crisis. To this end, it transforms William Mead Homes into a vibrant, connected, and affordable mixed-use neighborhood. Landscape architecture principles will be implemented to transition between public, private, commercial, and green spaces, creating a livable community in the heart of Los Angeles.