University Park Slow Jams
Past Project
SUMMARY
Los Angeles is one of America’s deadliest cities for people who walk, bike, and roll. In 2019, roughly 11 pedestrians were killed every month in Los Angeles. The streets around USC have disproportionately high collision rates, with children especially at risk.
University Park Slow Jams is a creative call to action for safer streets—building a community of advocates to stand against and propose solutions to traffic violence. The grassroots project was an award winning finalist in the 2020 My LA2050 Grants Challenge, and blends blend socially-engaged art, education, and capacity building among local stakeholders with creative public acts to build awareness of street safety and elevate community perspectives.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Supports performative “Slow Jams” – artistic street spectacles to elevate awareness – and neighborhood networks that can drive solutions
- Amplifies the voices of Latinx and Black residents who are often excluded from urban planning processes that impact their exposure to traffic violence
- Unearths stories that reveal the quiet struggle of everyday traffic violence in the neighborhood around USC
