AIA|LA ARCHITECTS IN ACTION:

Questions for Siobhán Burke, AIA, LEED AP – Principal, Lyric Design & Planning

Design Perspective:

Can you describe your design philosophy and how it balances creativity with functionality?

My public space design philosophy in a catchphrase would be, “Form Follows Feedback”. I believe wholeheartedly in the public process, and that we should always strive for purpose-driven design in the urban environment. Without community-identified interests, who are we as designers and outsiders to know what’s best? This is what inspires my creative process.

On The Hyperion Street Safety Coalition

Community Engagement and Feedback:

The Avenue Plan seems comprehensive. How did the Coalition emerge and successfully gather input from the diverse community groups (residents, businesses, schools) to ensure the plan reflects their priorities?

Thanks for bringing up one of my favorite pet projects! How much time do you have?! Back in 2018, I started getting involved in my Neighborhood Council and quickly found myself on the other side of the professional equation… namely, helping to build a grassroots coalition to advocate for real solutions from the City and our elected officials. After collaborating on a number of parks, complete streets, and urban resilience projects throughout Los Angeles over the years (Rail to River, Rock the Blvd, Watts Rising, etc.), I thought, “Why not affect change like this within my own neighborhood?”. I threw my hat in the ring and was elected to the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council (LFNC) and served on three committees: Recreation, Transportation & Mobility, and Public Works & Beautification. My key interests were (and still are!) building public access to Rowena Reservoir during daylight hours, and improving walkability on Hyperion Avenue.

It was very clear from the getgo that the infrastructure of Hyperion Avenue needed critical pedestrian safety fixes, and I was not the only one with that concern. Through the LFNC, I spearheaded a “walkabout” in 2018 to hear what others had to say. I guess you could say it fired up a base! We’ve since hosted 3 more walkabouts, hosted Zoom meetings during Covid, met with our Council District representatives, and established a Working Group with LADOT. The Hyperion Street Safety Coalition (HSSC) was formed as a natural outgrowth of recurring community interest in mobility.

When it comes to garnering business support, the value of door-knocking was clear – people are busy and emails are tough to respond to. But if you show up, you can dig into the personal and meaningful stories that elevate the urgency for action. Part of the feedback loop were school families and their principals pleading for immediate safety measures. Our team synthesized the collective ideas in The Avenue Plan promoting life-saving improvements like high visibility crosswalks, traffic signals, pedestrian lighting, and shade trees. This illustrates our mission: preventing deaths and injuries, building climate resilience, enhancing mobility, and improving livability while supporting local businesses. With this in our toolbelt, we built a website and sought wider support from neighborhood-based organizations to continue to spread the word.

What have been the biggest hurdles in forming the coalition and in getting desired changes enacted?

My mentor, Deborah Murphy (AIA Associate) warned me years ago that it would not be an easy task with the Avenue being split between multiple jurisdictions – it is shared by Council District 4 and Council District 13. Also interesting is that the centerline of Hyperion splits Los Feliz and Silver Lake, and there are future pedestrian and bike improvements planned for the Hyperion Bridge connecting to Atwater Village – so at least 3 Neighborhood Councils were critical to our communications. The key is to find great synergies between stakeholders for a Big Win.

Two other hurdles: 1) Hyperion is not considered part of the “High Injury Network” which is the measure by which the City of Los Angeles prioritizes funding for streetscape projects. If vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian injuries were consistently reported and logged across the city, with more easily accessible data, it would be easier to merit immediate funding. 2) Los Angeles lacks a comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP) to more effectively ensure investment in the public right-of-way. HSSC has enthusiastically endorsed such a plan as proposed by the non-profit Investing in Place.

Funding and Partnerships:

The plan likely requires significant investment. Has the Coalition identified potential funding sources or public-private partnerships to support the project’s execution?

Yes! A big ticket funding request for The Avenue Plan was recently submitted by Congressman Schiff to the House Appropriations Committee – talk about moving up the chain! While we await the committee’s response, Councilmember Nithya Raman’s office has allotted $90K in funding to build four speed tables as a short-term safety solution. Other identified funding opportunities include grants through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program, the Active Transportation Program, and the Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program. We’re incredibly grateful that CD4 has been so supportive of the project and is willing to get creative with us.

Measuring Success:

How will the Coalition measure the success of The Avenue Plan? Are there specific metrics for improved safety, increased mobility, or positive business impacts?

The metrics are pretty basic and easy to measure: Number one, we hope to become a Vision Zero Avenue with no future fatalities, injuries, or collisions. With improvements in place, we expect to see more kids and families choosing to walk to and from school, and more people walking to/from Hyperion’s expanding retail and food establishments. Higher pedestrian volume often leads to better business with increased transactions in a given trip. Then we would hopefully see a reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMTs) – a fun acronym for less “cars on the road”. These impacts would be multi-benefit measured by reductions in obesity rates and improved mental health due to active transportation choices, increased shade canopy and cooling, and improved air quality through carbon reductions. It’s a pretty basic wishlist that – on a broad scale – would enhance regional connectivity.

Public Advocacy and Outreach:

The Coalition has clearly done a great job mobilizing the community. What are your plans for ongoing public advocacy and outreach to ensure continued resident and stakeholder support as the plan moves forward?

It turns out a good PARTY helps build the village mindset and keep the momentum going. We recently hosted a Community Mixer in collaboration with Silver Lake Forward, Bike LA, Streets For All, Sunset 4 All, Livable Communities Initiative, and the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy. It was a great chance to discuss intersecting mobility plans and open space initiatives in the neighborhood, meet new people, and hear great ideas. None of this could be done without a dedicated HSSC Steering Committee. We are all volunteers in this effort! It’s an ongoing journey, and having like-minded advocates supporting each other flattens the uphill battle.

Siobhán Burke, AIA, LEED AP – Founder & Principal, Lyric Design & Planning

Siobhán Burke is the founder of Lyric Design & Planning, a public space design office in Los Angeles. Her work focuses on connecting communities through networks of healthy waterways, streetscapes, parks, and plazas. Siobhán has been conceptualizing a framework called the 99 Neighborhoods Network to facilitate inclusive and resilient placemaking in advance of the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games.