Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) launched its RegenCities Initiative in 2016 to further define the regenerative city — a concept of sustainable urban development built on a restorative relationship with the environment.

Using Los Angeles as a case study, RegenCities developed a new systems-based methodology for urban planning and design referred to as “Health Topography.”

The tool functions as a type of urban MRI for communities that combines traditional census tract data with the ever-increasing amount of open, big data, and analyzes the information through urban systems. Planners, urban designers and architects can use this layered map to better understand correlations and develop regenerative strategies to address issues.

The South LA Regeneration video is the first step of a multi-phased approach to developing regeneration strategies for the City of Los Angeles.

SOM's City Design Practice has partnered with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Operations Innovation Team to develop a pilot project for equitable economic development in South L.A.

This video is intended to raise awareness and launch a broad conversation about how South Los Angeles has historically been perceived, what it is now, and what it wants to be in the future.

We call this project “Regen LA”.