In terms of “healthy food,” the California FreshWorks Fund, a project of the California Endowment and private-public partnership loan fund raised $264 million to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved communities where healthy food options are more than a 20-minute drive from home, said panelists. Tellalian stated that the fund was established in response to the severe deficiency in healthy food options in South Los Angeles. He added that the fund incentivizes retailers to invest in neighborhoods where they may not otherwise due to lack of data on the viability of the market, lack of infrastructure or attractive existing building conditions and lack of tolerance for risk in times of economic uncertainty.

Another major point from panelists was transit. “The County of Los Angeles made a conscious decision to invest in transit with the passage of Measure R by more than a 2/3 vote,” stated Gertler. He continued, stating that in order for the transit infrastructure to be effective, it needs to be part of a larger vision for Los Angeles. The fate of too many projects is determined by local communities one small piece at a time. There is a bigger connection between transit, the built environment and zoning that must be considered and harnessed at the regional level. “Connectedness and engagement are fundamental elements of healthy communities” Gertler added. “Transit must function seamlessly within the surrounding neighborhood and regional context to successfully achieve that goal.”

Estolano added that what the city is lacking is a “clearly articulated vision of what we want future growth, development and planning to accomplish.” She asserted that the vision must be framed around how a person lives in the context of where their children go to school, how they commute to work with or without a car, how far work is from the home, access to healthy food and ability to interact with their neighbors outside of their personal property.