With funding from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (Cal Fire) Urban and Community Forestry Green Schoolyards Planning Grant Program, CWH led a community-led and nature-based green schoolyard design process at Diego Rivera Learning Complex and seven other Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school campuses. Located in Florence Firestone, Diego Rivera is composed of four magnet high schools: the Public Service Community School, the Communication and Technology School (CATS), the Green Design STEAM Academy, and the Performing Arts Community School
Diego Rivera’s proposed green schoolyard project addresses the urgent need for shaded, green spaces that provide students with nature-based play opportunities that support their learning and mental and physical health.
As part of our school community-led design process, CWH partnered with Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), a community-based organization with experience engaging residents around green infrastructure, EPT Design for landscape architecture and design services, and Herrera Environmental Consultants, which contributed its civil engineering expertise. In partnership with LAUSD, CWH’s project team developed 50 percent conceptual designs for Diego Rivera’s green schoolyard project that reflect the needs and priorities LANI identified with the school community.
The proposed green schoolyard design focuses on asphalt removal and the addition of shade trees in student accessible areas of the campus. The design includes shaded student gathering areas, a multi-use learning garden and outdoor classroom area, and a fitness trail with native habitat gardens.
Project Benefits
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About the Project
CBO Partner
Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) is a non-profit organization that revitalizes neighborhoods by engaging people and building vibrant public spaces. Since 1994, LANI has helped revitalize more than 50 low and mixed-income neighborhoods throughout the Los Angeles region. LANI works with communities to plan and implement projects like new parks and open spaces, business corridor improvements, street tree plantings and sidewalk repairs, public art and placemaking, and transportation enhancements like crosswalks, bike lanes, lighting, bus shelters, and transit plazas.
Given LANI’s prior school greening and community engagement experience, CWH invited LANI to partner on our Cal Fire Green Schoolyards Planning Grant as the community engagement lead for Diego Rivera Learning Complex. In this role, LANI led school community education, outreach, and engagement activities that supported a school community-led nature-based design process that reached 50% design. Throughout the design process, LANI engaged Diego Rivera’s school community and gathered critical design input using surveys, meetings with the school’s four Principals, presentations at school open house events and Florence Firestone community meetings, and student design charrette exercises.
LANI presented to Diego Rivera's Safe Passages Collaborative about CWH's Cal Fire grant, opportunities to inform the design of Diego Rivera's green schoolyard, and next steps to stay engaged.
EPT staff leading a student design charrette activity with LANI.
LANI's staff leading a "How Hot Is Your Schoolyard?" surface temperature activity with students.
LANI presented to Diego Rivera's Safe Passages Collaborative about CWH's Cal Fire grant, opportunities to inform the design of Diego Rivera's green schoolyard, and next steps to stay engaged.
Project Progress
Conceptual Design
During the Spring of 2024, LANI, EPT Design, and CWH worked together to engage Diego Rivera Learning Complex’s school community (students, teachers, parents, and staff) through surveys, student design workshops, and a series of presentations at staff and community meetings. These presentations allowed LANI to educate Diego Rivera’s school community on the importance of school greening, introduce CWH’s Cal Fire planning grant, and gather extensive input to inform EPT Design’s conceptual design process. Through this process, LANI and EPT Design worked closely to ensure Diego Rivera’s conceptual design reflects both Cal Fire’s priorities and the school community’s needs and vision for their green schoolyard.
Image Credit: EPT Design Landscape Architects
30% Design
At the 30% design phase, EPT Design transformed Diego Rivera’s conceptual design into detailed civil and landscape design documents that incorporate additional school community feedback received on the conceptual design. CWH and EPT Design also worked with PSOMAS, Pinnacle, and LAUSD staff to identify the location of underground utilities, conduct soil and asphalt testing, and perform other site analyses. During this process, EPT Design adjusted the schoolyard’s design to reflect what is technically feasible.
Image Credit: EPT Design Landscape Architects
50% Design
From 30 to 50% design, EPT Design incorporated CWH and LAUSD’s technical feedback on the green schoolyard design and expanded the design to include more technical details. The technical changes incorporated into the final 50% design include, but are not limited to, demolition plans, civil engineering sheets that assess grading and drainage, irrigation plans, proposed plant palettes, and a drafted construction budget. EPT Design also created an updated design exhibit for LANI to share with Diego Rivera’s school community. In February 2025, CWH and LANI shared project updates and the project’s updated design exhibit with Diego Rivera’s principals at their weekly team meeting and provided digital copies of the designs for the Principals to display across campus.
Image Credit: EPT Design Landscape Architects
Project Photos
View of students congregating on exposed basketball court during their lunch period.
View of extensive asphalt and exposed seating on main quad.
View of seating located in main quad area.
View of students congregating on exposed basketball court during their lunch period.