Stories

Los Angeles benefits in myriad ways from the contributions and influence of the AAPI community. We see it in the fabric of our city – and we get to experience it on the streets. During Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we look back at how CicLAvia events have connected neighbors to the rich history, art, culture, and people all around them.

These photos offer a few glimpses of how the AAPI community has touched countless regions throughout LA.

What if everything was just a 20-minute trip away, without needing a car?

Eugene, OR, is one of several cities across the country trying to give more people the chance to reach everything they need within a 20-minute walk or a short bike ride. The city is pushing several initiatives to promote “20-minute living,” the ability to reach important destinations like grocery stores and workplaces within that time frame.

While our team is hard at work planning future CicLAvia events, we are capitalizing on our expertise in community outreach and creating public spaces to expand the L.A. Al Fresco program. In partnership with the City of LA and LADOT, we're helping neighborhood businesses (restaurants, bars, and cafes) re-envision some of their own spaces, to test how streets and lots that primarily serve cars can be opened up to people-centered activity.

L.A. Al Fresco helps local businesses relax the rules that regulate outdoor dining, and therefore increase the space restaurants have for outdoor use. We continue to build upon our work in LA, one street and neighborhood at a time.

Romel Pascual, Executive Director at CicLAvia, recently gave an interview to BYCS, an Amsterdam-based, active-transportation-driven social enterprise. As an urban planner with a long history of championing environmental causes and social justice issues, Romel spoke about the role CicLAvia plays in creating urban spaces in Los Angeles while creating joy and wellbeing in the lives of Angelenos.

"I think CicLAvia can offer a restoration of social confidence and what I’m calling responsible social conscience. We will be out there on the streets giving people the opportunity to engage with it in whatever way they wish. We provide that canvas they can paint with whatever it is that will inspire them that day, the day after CicLAvia, and beyond."

CicLAvia Sundays are coming back!

We are as eager as you are to get together again. CicLAvia is where joy meets purpose. We deeply believe our return will restore comfort to our community and remind us of the value of public spaces for all. We will announce our upcoming route and date soon. Be sure to join our email list to be the first to get the announcements.

There is a lot of evidence that exercise, like walking, can improve our moods. But a new psychological study takes the learnings a little bit deeper.

"Consciously watching for small wonders in the world around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could amplify the mental health benefits of the stroll," the study reports. These are colloquially known as "awe walks."

CicLAvia–Heart of LA, October 6, 2013

Los Angeles never seems quite as photogenic as it does on CicLAvia Sundays. Our community loves the photos that capture the highlights, the emotions, the connectivity, the art & landmarks, the people, and the atmosphere of each CicLAvia event.

Our photos are always free to use: grab one to use as a desktop or Zoom background, phone screen, or anything else! Click to scroll through our Flickr albums.

Last year, CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne joined Social Venture Partners LA's Fast Pitch 2020, where he presented a fresh, dynamic vision for open streets in Los Angeles as our city was adapting to its 'new normal.' Since then, we've continued our work guiding safe streets protocol, directing aid & support to local businesses and nonprofits, and working with other transportation groups in LA.

Curious to hear what the Accelerator cohort has been up to since then?

SVPLA Spotlight Session
Wednesday, March 31
1 PM - Open to Everyone
Click Here to Learn More and Sign Up

Tafarai will be participating in a special Spotlight Session along with other SVPLA leaders, to talk about our biggest successes from the last year, what many of us are focused on in 2021, and how YOU can take action now on issues from housing and public transit to environmental justice, civic engagement, and dismantling mass incarceration.

CicLAvia–Heart of LA, October 2, 2018

Los Angeles is a sprawling, diverse city filled with countless architectural styles and pieces of history. One of the joys of CicLAvia is giving people the opportunity to explore their own neighborhoods and really get up close to the sights that they might otherwise speed past in a car (or never see at all).

We don't have one singular landmark that exemplifies our city; we have dozens! We drew together photos of our events that featured some of the true LA markers that dot our city.

“We want CicLAvia to continue as much as the rest of Los Angeles does. The institution that CicLAvia represents – the opportunity for Angelenos to come together - it’s unparalleled and will endure through this crisis. We will be right there with them when CicLAvia can resume bringing our communities together in person.”

Our partnership with AARP has helped us support diverse, people-powered transportation options for Angelenos. Getting a deeper understanding of potential mobility challenges strengthened CicLAvia as a more accessible, equitable – and fun – event.