Investing in smarter infrastructure for L.A.

Creating a new scorecard to help L.A. leaders invest in infrastructure projects that deliver the biggest wins.

USC Launched 2024

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Impact

With our scorecard, L.A. leaders can see which projects solve more than one infrastructure problem at a time, and prioritize funding them. That means creating parks that also capture stormwater—or cutting traffic and homelessness by building affordable housing near public transit. By guiding funds to these multi-benefit projects, our scorecard will help cities get the most out of their budgets—and do more for Angelenos.

$1.6 B in annual L.A. infrastructure funding guided by voter-approved measures

45 Community, agency, and advocacy leaders interviewed to shape the scorecard and priorities

Challenge

Too often, taxpayer dollars fund single-purpose projects, missing the chance to do more for L.A. neighborhoods—a housing development that could have included a public garden; street upgrades that could have added bike paths to protect kids and commuters. Without a clear way to identify the most efficient—and impactful—projects, plans that could achieve better outcomes for more people often get overlooked.

Our Plan

We’re creating a first-of-its-kind scorecard to help L.A. County leaders see how proposed projects stack up for community benefits—starting with projects funded by four voter-approved measures across water (Measure W), housing (Measure H), parks (Measure A), and transportation (Measure M).

Project Goals

Study L.A.’s policy

We reviewed existing policies to understand how projects are approved and where opportunities are being missed.

Identify multi-benefit projects

We built a framework to spot projects that solve multiple needs at once.

Help leaders make smart investments

We interviewed 45 experts to inform a scorecard that officials will be able to use to fund high-impact projects.

Approach

We paired on-the-ground insights with data analysis to understand how infrastructure projects can deliver the most impact. Now, we’re building a scorecard that helps public agencies compare proposals side by side—making it easier to see which projects work smarter, serve multiple needs, and create lasting benefits for communities.