We’re very excited to honor journalist Alissa Walker and AARP in Los Angeles with the Spirit of CicLAvia Award at our 3rd annual pLAy day in LA fundraiser on Sunday, February 10.
Both embody the collective spirit of the CicLAvia community and share our vision for a better Los Angeles.
As a fundraiser, every dollar raised through pLAy day in LA will support the six (yes, six!) car-free street events we have planned for 2019. We thought it fitting to honor Alissa Walker and AARP at this all-ages party designed to celebrate what CicLAvia means to our diverse community of fans and our region as a whole.
Ahead of this special event, we wanted to help you get to know our honorees a little better.
AARP in Los Angeles
For three years running, AARP in Los Angeles has been an incredible partner as a CicLAvia event sponsor. We love collaborating with them to create popular aspects of the festivities, from providing pedicabs to holding age-friendly activities like art workshops at hubs.
We make a great team because we share many of the same goals. Like CicLAvia, AARP in Los Angeles promotes active living, no matter one’s age, and advocates for civic transformations, like safer streets, that contribute to more livable cities. They work to connect Angelenos of all ages by hosting activities and events that are fun and strengthen our sense of community.
In addition to working with CicLAvia, AARP in Los Angeles has hosted a series of travel training workshops in partnership with Metro’s On the Move Riders Program, and worked with local artists to depict an “Age-Friendly Los Angeles” with murals on the side of city buses and trains. They were also an integral force behind informing the public about Measure M, a half-cent sales tax that was approved by 71% of Los Angeles County voters in 2016 with the goal of improving transportation and easing traffic congestion.
"AARP is committed to helping build a Los Angeles where everyone, at every age, can safely get around to live, work and play," said Patricia Pérez, AARP California state president. "This is why it is such a privilege to be honored by CicLAvia, an organization that not only shares our vision, but continues to create innovative ways for Angelenos to enjoy our city streets and interact with friends, family and neighbors. We hope to sustain our shared momentum and look forward to a very bright future.”
Alissa Walker
Alissa Walker is the urbanism editor at Curbed where she pens the column Word on the Street, shedding light and weighing in on the ideas, the innovators, the movements, the trends, the activists, and the policy-makers shaping the future of urban mobility. Walker also highlights the hard science behind a changing climate and spotlights the human stories of those affected.
Smart urban and transportation planning, she routinely argues, is a key tool in averting a climate catastrophe while making our cities more livable. She wrote recently on how safe streets are our best weapon to fight climate change. Needless to say, we are big, big fans of her work.
Outside of her writing, we’re big fans still: She travels car-free by choice with her two young children in Los Angeles, which is really cool!
Alissa had this to say about receiving the award:
“CicLAvia has changed the face of Los Angeles more dramatically than any laws put forth by local policymakers over the last decade. I could not be more honored to have my work recognized by an organization that is reorienting the future—and the priorities—of my favorite city."
Help us celebrate this year's honorees. Get your tickets today!
