The State of Lake Balboa

In Fall 2013, Sarah Chandlee, Shayne Smith, and Nicole Walter, students in Professor Ong’s Urban Planning class at UCLA have presented their neighborhood profiles, finished products of the neighborhood analyses they conducted in collaboration with seven Neighborhood Councils, including Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council.
These students created these in-depth reports using the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and collecting information from the field through partnerships with Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council.
The presentation includes historical background on each of the communities as well as detailed analysis of demographic composition, socioeconomic status, housing characteristics, the local economy, and other local features.
In each study, the presentations conclude with recommendations for the Neighborhood Council on how to maximize their positive impact on their community. Neighborhood Councils now have a data-driven reference to inform their work and gain an accurate picture of their neighborhood from a variety of angles.
“I am so impressed by the caliber of the students’ work,” said Grayce Liu, General Manager of EmpowerLA. She listened in on the presentations in December and sees great value in the partnership between UCLA graduate students and Neighborhood Councils.
“I think this asset mapping is essential for all Neighborhood Councils, and I hope to find the resources to create such profiles for all of the Neighborhood Councils.”
Click here to view "The State of Lake Balboa"