Thoughts on Designing a Community Space from Sixth Street PARC’s Chief Engineer

Welcome to a special edition of the Sixth Street PARC newsletter! This month we spent time talking about the Sixth Street PARC with the Bureau of Engineering’s Chief Deputy City Engineer Deborah Weintraub,

 

Deborah has been the visionary behind the Sixth Street PARC, bringing her expertise and passion for creating connected community spaces through design. In this issue, she shares her insights, challenges, and inspirations that guided the PARC’s community-oriented design process.

Deborah Weintraub, photo courtesy of XX|LA

The Beginnings of the Sixth Street PARC Project

The idea for the Sixth Street PARC was born from a rare and exciting opportunity. The construction of the new Sixth Street Viaduct created 12 acres of open space beneath and around the iconic structure. When Deborah Weintraub first saw the unused land, she seized on the opportunity to transform the space into something much greater: a dynamic public park that would serve as a vital community resource for Los Angeles.

“We had a lot of land under the bridge that presented the opportunity to create a public open space,” said Deborah. “From the very beginning, when we started to design the viaduct, we were thinking about how we could use the land under the bridge for public open space. Having 12 acres in Los Angeles is a rare opportunity and we want to use it to create something transformational.”

Underneath the Sixth Street Viaduct, photo courtesy of Gary Leonard

Inspiration for the PARC

Deborah’s inspiration for the Sixth Street PARC’s design stemmed from her passion for creating spaces that foster community, recreation and connections. She envisioned the PARC as an extension of the Sixth Street Viaduct, creating a gathering place where the communities of Boyle Heights and the Arts District would come together, while feeling represented in their unique identities.

“The old Sixth Street Bridge, although beautiful, was limited in some ways for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Deborah. “Once you got on the bridge in Boyle Heights, you couldn't get off until you arrived in the Arts District. Now, you'll be able to go to the park, run a loop around the park, run up the stairs, run across the bridge, run a loop around the helix, and then come back. So the new viaduct actually becomes a part of the open space.”

Rendering of East Park at the Sixth Street PARC

Community Involvement

A key component of the PARC’s design process was involving the community at every step. Through surveys, meetings, site tours, focus groups and a variety of comprehensive outreach and engagement efforts, feedback from local residents from both sides of the PARC helped shape its features and layout. Through collaborative discussions the team connected with a wide range of voices, from senior residents to younger families, fostering a shared commitment to creating a space that would serve all generations.

"We did meetings on both sides of the river, and we heard very different things,” Deborah said. “For example, we worked closely with a nearby residential community where we heard things from them like, "we want to be able to sit near where our kids or grandkids are going to be playing", or "we need a walking circuit that is comfortable for older people". But we also heard different messages from the Arts District side. They wanted passive recreation such as an exercise area. Everyone, however, is very excited about the Leonard Hill Arts Plaza, which is a stage and seating area on the east side of the river that will host performances and other cultural events.”

Deborah Weintraub at the Puente Learning Center for a community meeting, March, 2017

One memorable moment for Deborah came when a local skate shop owner and his after-school club attended a design meeting. 

“A gentleman who owns a skateboard shop in Boyle Heights and also runs an after school club for skateboarders, showed up at the final meeting with some of his club members and they said, "you didn't give us a dedicated space, so we're going to be everywhere. And do you really want us everywhere?" And we said, "you're right. And there is room to make that happen. It’s a great example of how you need to talk to everyone and listen to everyone in a community. And we made that happen for them in the design."

Looking Forward

As the project nears its 2026 completion date, excitement is building as residents and visitors look forward to a new space to play, gather, and build community. From the performance areas to the recreational fields, to the beautiful trees and landscaping, dog park and children’s play zones, the thoughtfully designed PARC will provide something for everyone to enjoy. 


Out of all of the PARC's marvelous features, Deborah is particularly excited for the community to discover the performance area and see what kinds of performances they will set up.

“I'm most excited for the community to discover The Leonard Hill Arts Plaza and the performance stage. A lot of folks will visit and be surprised to see it there. I think it will get all kinds of uses whether formal or informal performances.”

Rendering of Leonard Hill Arts Plaza at the Sixth Street PARC

Stay Connected

We invite you to follow us on social media to stay up to date on the Sixth Street PARC Project. We recently updated our Facebook and Instagram handles to reflect the PARC project and to give you the latest news and updates as construction progresses. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and check out our website at www.SixthStreetPARC.com

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The Bureau of Engineering is the City's lead agency for the planning, design and construction management of the City's public buildings and its public infrastructure. Engineering is also responsible for managing permitting for all construction that takes place in the public right-of-way, as well as managing the City's state-of-the-art online mapping system, NavigateLA. Engineering is committed to designing and building environmentally-sustainable projects that include extensive community input. Engineering projects and services support the City's goals of creating a prosperous, livable and safe city for all residents and businesses.