Alondra Gateway Park reclaims a once-vacant half-acre lot along Compton Creek and transforms it into a vibrant community space rooted in local culture and identity. Envisioned back in 2008 as part of the Compton Creek Garden Park Master Plan, the project brings long-overdue public investment to one of Los Angeles County’s most park-poor areas, offering inclusive access for families, walkers, cyclists and the neighborhood’s well-known equestrian community. Features include a nature-inspired playground, California native plantings, picnic and exercise areas, a community-made mosaic and a central plaza designed to foster connection, wellbeing and neighborhood pride.

“It’s a very small site—just a half acre—but we packed a lot into this space,” says Mike Hee, PLA, Technical Director at Studio-MLA. “There’s open spaces for community, picnic areas, a playground, planting areas and stormwater functions. Getting this project, which the community had been talking about for years, over the finish line was a big accomplishment for everyone involved.”

For decades, Compton Creek and its surrounding neighborhoods have faced disinvestment, environmental neglect and limited access to green space. The community, historically marginalized and disproportionately affected by climate risks, was central to shaping the park’s vision. Studio-MLA worked closely with residents, local businesses and equestrian groups like the Compton Cowboys to ensure the design reflected their needs and identity. “It’s informally an extension of Sr. Cliff’s Texas-Style Burritos next door—he’s the steward of the park, with eyes on it every day,” Hee notes. “We also designed equestrian elements like tie-ups, so riders can stop, rest and enjoy the space. Every time I visit, I see families at the playground, neighbors having lunch, cowboys with their horses—it’s their park, and it’s just awesome seeing them use it.”

Landscape Forms site furnishings and lighting help unify the design and support inclusive use at Alondra Gateway Park. MultipliCITY benches and tables, Bola bike racks, Select recycling systems and LEO 360 Solar area lights were all specified in consistent finishes to create a cohesive aesthetic. “Everything feels the same when you touch it,” says Hee. “The benches and tables are accessible, with options to make them ADA-compliant, which is important to what we do—universal access.” LEO 360 Solar area lights became a pivotal solution when the team couldn’t connect to the local grid. 

Though modest in size, Alondra Gateway Park demonstrates how even limited sites can be transformed into inclusive, multi-functional green spaces that build resilience and celebrate cultural identity. By integrating native landscaping, shade trees and interpretive elements that speak to a history of place, the park helps address years of limited investment in green space while offering a replicable model of equity-driven, community-led transformation. “It’s a great pilot project for the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy,” says Hee. “They can point to it and say, ‘This is what’s possible in communities that don’t yet have access to these kinds of spaces."