Kounkuey Design Initiative Inc

PARTNERING WITH GLOBAL IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE TOTAL QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH DESIGN AND URBAN PLANNING.

THROUGHOUT 2021, OUR WORK POSITIVELY IMPACTED NUMEROUS UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. WE HELPED SIX CITIES STATEWIDE SECURE ROUGHLY $35M IN STATE PARKS FUNDING FOR NEW AND RENOVATED PARKS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, WE LAUNCHED A PROJECT WORKING WITH RESIDENTS IN SUN VILLAGE, A HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD, TO DEVELOP AN EXHIBIT COMMEMORATING THE HISTORY OF THE PARK AND THE COMMUNITY. MOREOVER, KDI WAS COMMISSIONED TO DEVELOP A VISION PLAN FOR TURNING AN OVERFLOW PARKING LOT INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WILL SERVE FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE, FORMERLY UNHOUSED PEOPLE, AND LOW-INCOME CHINATOWN RESIDENTS. OUR DESIGN INCLUDES A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT WITH AFFORDABLE AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, CLASSROOMS, AND ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ADDRESSED SHARED CHALLENGES AMONG THE STAKEHOLDERS.ADDITIONALLY, KDI OPENED THE FIVE-ACRE PHASE OF THE OASIS DEL DESIERTO PARK IN THE EASTERN COACHELLA VALLEY COMMUNITY OF OASIS. AT THE SALTON SEA STATE RECREATION AREA, WE HELD OVER 5 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS WITH COMMUNITY STORYTELLING, STARGAZING EVENTS, AND DESIGN CHARRETTES. IN THE PACOIMA NEIGHBORHOOD OF LOS ANGELES, WE WORKED WITH HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS TO SECURE MORE DESIGN AND PLANNING FUNDING TO TRANSFORM AN UNUSED ROADSIDE AREA INTO A LOCAL MIXED-USE GREENWAY. FINALLY, KDI HELPED TO CO-WRITE THE GREEN SCHOOLYARDS FOR LOS ANGELES REPORT, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR POLICY REFORMS TO BRING ABOUT MORE EQUITY, HEALTH AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE TO LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

KDI CONVENED A COALITION OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT PRACTITIONERS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, AND RESEARCHERS TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED AND INCLUSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK FOR KENYA (3IF).THE 3IF PROJECT PROVIDES PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE WORKING IN FIELDS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING IN KENYA. IT IS DESIGNED TO HELP MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF LESSONS LEARNED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUILT-ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONALS, STUDENTS, AND ACADEMICS. ADDITIONALLY, IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS, WE ARE CO-DESIGNING AND TRANSFORMING A LARGE PARCEL OF WAYLEAVE LAND IN THE KIBERA SLUM INTO A HOLISTIC PUBLIC SPACE THAT FEATURES NEW TREES PLANTED, INFRASTRUCTURE MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS, AND MUCH NEEDED SHADE AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE. DURING 2021, WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR REALIZING URBAN NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS (R-U-NBS) PROJECT INCLUDING DEVELOPING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO WATER MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS AT THE SCALE OF AN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. THROUGH THIS PROJECT WE HAVE HELPED CREATE NINE WATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS IN TWO UNPLANNED SETTLEMENTS IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM. THREE NEW PROJECT SITES IN OTHER INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS ARE BEING CO-DESIGNED AND ARE SCHEDULED TO BE BUILT BY THE END OF 2022.

OUR WORK ALSO IMPACTED SEVERAL OTHER STATES IN THE US. IN ALASKA, WE BEGAN WORK ON OUR AAK'W VILLAGE ARTS AND CULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN PROCESS IN JUNEAU, AND CONDUCTED THREE SETS OF ENGAGEMENTS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND NATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN KANSAS, WE PARTNERED WITH THE WICHITA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NONPROFIT EMPOWER, AND LAUNCHED VAMOS NOMAR, A PROJECT TO DEVELOP VISION PLANS FOR WICHITA'S PREDOMINANTLY LATINO NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD. THROUGH WORKSHOPS, ACTIVATIONS, AND LEADERSHIP DINNERS, WE DEVELOPED VISION PLANS FOR A PARK, THE 21ST STREET COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, AND THE HISTORIC NOMAR PLAZA.IN PENNSYLVANIA, WE DESIGNED A NEW VISION FOR THE VARE RECREATION CENTER IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA, AND HELPED BRING THE PROJECT TO THE BEGINNING OF THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.