Aligning infrastructure investments with impact

Impact

We’re collecting insights from practitioners who plan, design, and deliver infrastructure across LA County to develop metrics that help projects better meet community needs and guide public investment toward the highest-impact solutions—like parks that capture stormwater or housing near transit that reduces traffic and homelessness. By prioritizing these multi-benefit projects, the scorecard helps cities stretch budgets and deliver more for Angelenos.

Challenge

L.A. County faces mounting climate pressures, aging infrastructure, and persistent equity challenges. Prior research on Measures W, H, A, and M shows these programs lack clear definitions of “multi-benefit,” leading to investments in single-purpose projects that miss opportunities to do more — like adding public gardens to housing or bike lanes to street upgrades. When projects integrate multiple benefits and are shaped by community input, they can better address overlapping challenges and create healthier, safer, more resilient neighborhoods. Without a clear way to identify the most impactful projects, higher-value solutions are often overlooked.

Our Plan

Our research team interviewed practitioners across advocacy, design, and implementation — project managers, leaders of community-based organizations (CBOs), governmental officials, and planners. Their perspectives revealed what enables or limits integrated, community-focused projects, where gaps remain, and how scoring frameworks can better capture what matters. Interviews focused on: 1) how multi-benefits and community engagement are evaluated today, 2) key challenges and opportunities, and 3) ways to improve future infrastructure processes.