The City of West Hollywood has been developing innovations in civic technology and citizen engagement for over 30 years. Understanding the history of innovation in the City, from its founding to today, is important context for our work going forward. The programs listed in Part 2 demonstrate West Hollywood’s significant achievements in deploying innovative programming and pilot projects through 2015. This report links specific recommendations for innovative programs to identified needs for the City, and recommends ways to document the impact of existing innovations. As with all City initiatives, the WeHoX team structured this report and the WeHoX process to support the City’s General Plan Goals and Policies and Vision 2020 Strategic Plan.
As with all City initiatives, the WeHoX team structured this report and the WeHoX process to support the City’s General Plan Goals and Policies and Vision 2020 Strategic Plan.
In 2013, the City conducted a comprehensive Community Study — one of the most intensive community engagement projects in the City’s history. The Community Study updated the City’s demographic data and provides information that informs funding priorities for more than $4.2 million in social services initiatives. Ninety percent of respondents rated their quality of life as excellent or good, citing pedestrian orientation, central location, safe and quiet neighborhoods, amenities, and well-kept infrastructure. The extensive 2013 West Hollywood Community Study provides important findings that give context to the work and recommendations of the WeHoX team:
Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics and findings included in this section are from the 2013 West Hollywood Community Survey.
Throughout our work and in this report, we’ve found it useful to group information under the following content areas, which have emerged historically as important areas of focus for West Hollywood. We derived these topic areas through examining the West Hollywood General Plan, Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, and 2013 West Hollywood Community Study in consultation with stakeholders and WeHoX team members. They include:
Among small cities, West Hollywood is a leader of transportation innovation. The City’s walkability and compact size allows for residents to fulfill many of their needs without getting into their cars - a blessing in the congested Los Angeles region. In 2013, the City was voted “The Most Walkable City in California” by Walk Score, a service that helps promote walkable neighborhoods across the country. The City was ranked higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. In April 2015, the City was awarded the California Association for Coordinated Transportation’s (CalACT) 2015 Leadership Award for its vision and leadership in public transit.
Nevertheless, the City faces challenges with traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety. Nearly 75% of West Hollywood’s working residents drive alone to work. The City has several major east-west roadways, including Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Boulevard, Fountain Avenue, and Melrose Avenue. These streets carry a significant volume of traffic through the City to reach points east and west. The most severe traffic congestion problems occur during commuting hours, which bring local and pass-through regional traffic to West Hollywood. Tourism and nightlife also attract high volumes of traffic to West Hollywood on nights and weekends, times when streets in many other cities are quiet. Not unlike other dense urban communities, West Hollywood experiences pedestrian accidents at its busy city crosswalks, and the City has rates of alcohol-related vehicular incidents that are higher than those of neighboring communities, offering opportunities for improvement.
The City has higher rates of public transit use and house- holds without cars than the County, but residents still want more information on transit times and more access to transit, as well as more support for biking and walkability. Parking and traffic are frequently cited as concerns by residents.
West Hollywood consistently ranks high in assessment of quality of life for residents. City residents live longer and have lower rates of chronic diseases than residents of L.A. County as a whole.
Today, 12% of households in the City have a person living with HIV/AIDS. West Hollywood continues to have a higher percentage of community members living with HIV and AIDS than other cities in the region, and the City has a higher rate of alcohol-related deaths than neighboring cities. The dynamic nightlife that makes West Hollywood a global destination can have negative as well as positive impacts for its residents.
Residents want more opportunities for public recreation and healthy activities. Residents’ requests include senior services and counseling and emotional support services.
West Hollywood is a civic leader in using technology and social media to communicate with residents. Respondents indicated a high likelihood of visiting the City’s website and receiving city communications, and were interested in more use of technology and innovation to facilitate public participation and city services.
Respondents would welcome more ways to engage with other residents and community events. Residents are interested in more ways to learn about city initiatives and services, including more social media engagement.
Government functions best when it is accountable to its constituents and transparent in its actions. While California has some of the strongest “sunshine” laws in the country, West Hollywood is constantly striving to provide the best possible service for its residents at the lowest possible cost, balancing fiscal responsibility with meeting community needs. This report is designed to uncover new opportunities for technology to make the City even more efficient, accountable, and transparent.
The City’s economy and its local businesses are essential to its health and ability to provide excellent service. As the economic drivers of the Southern California economy are evolving, the City’s core principles direct its operations to support sustainable, high-quality jobs and businesses. This report examines opportunities to further enhance the services the City provides to support business formation and retention, including the City’s digital, hospitality, lifestyle, tech, media, fashion, entertainment, and design industries (the City’s Innovation Economy).