Project Willowbrook: Cultivating Community Health Through Culture

Project Willowbrook proposes a new and dynamic model for asset mapping and public engagement in civic planning. Willowbrook, an unincorporated neighborhood of Los Angeles County south of downtown Los Angeles, northwest of Compton and just south of Watts, is undergoing a major urban transformation spurred by the landmark reopening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital. As part of the significant planning process, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and project partners LA Commons and artist Rosten Woo, employed innovative research and engagement strategies to identify and map the community's cultural assets. The visioning tools and support documents produced by Project Willowbrook represent a deepened understanding of Willowbrook's creative pulse and distinct identity while demonstrating the expanded role of arts and culture in community development.