Connectivity

Connection can have many meanings, including personal relationships, mobility and transit, spirituality, pervasive social media and being in touch with nature and ourselves.

We are more connected today than at any other time in history. Cell phones and social media have transformed the way we live, work, and play. How we view ourselves and our environment is shaped by these interactions. Technology has given us the power to see faraway lands without ever stepping foot on their soil. We can connect to people of all backgrounds and interests in our neighborhoods and across the world.

We are also connected through our built environments and natural spaces.  Our streets and freeways link us to near and faraway places. We converge in the shade of trees and are called to walk along the banks of streams and rivers. Our major rivers attract cyclists, hikers and equestrians to their multi-modal trails and provide safe, healthy, and enjoyable connections locally and regionally. Our city and neighborhood sidewalks connect us to schools, churches, nearby stores and restaurants.  Buses and trains connect us to places of work and learning. Ridesharing offers flexibility while delivery services may reduce the need for a car in transit poor areas. Many different connections shape the rhythm of our daily lives.

Ensuring efficient, effective, and equitable transportation is one of the greatest ongoing challenges of the greater LA area. Southern California is an intensely urbanized region that has a reputation of sprawling and spacious single-family homes connected and bisected by major freeways and highways. This transportation infrastructure is  designed for cars, not people. Increasing population and housing cost is bringing some people closer to their work and pushing others further out into sprawl, pressuring communities to innovate solutions to congestion, costly travel times, and unhealthy environments. Active transportation options increase mobility while providing the additional benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased personal health. 

As connections change, how we navigate our lives change. The path to more prosperous and healthy communities can be found through the connections we make along the way.