KOUNKUEY DESIGN INITIATIVE INC
309 EAST 8TH STREET NO 205, LOS ANGELES, CA 90014 www.kounkuey.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: KOUNKUEY DESIGN INITIATIVE (KDI) IS A NON-PROFIT DESIGN AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION. WE PARTNER WITH UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND ACTIVATE THE UNREALIZED POTENTIAL IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES. WE REALIZE THIS MISSION THROUGH EDUCATION, RESEARCH, PLANNING, AND BUILT WORKS.

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

KDI WORKED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATES TO COMPLETE OUR TWO-YEAR PARK ACCESS PROJECT, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP UNDER-RESOURCED MUNICIPALITIES CO-DESIGN NEW AND RENOVATED PARKS. THIS PROJECT SECURED $18 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR NEW AND RENOVATED PARKS IN SOME OF THE HIGHEST-NEED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. IN LOS ANGELES, WE LAUNCHED OUR ADOPT-A-LOT PILOT PROGRAM WHICH ENABLES COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ACCESS CITY-OWNED VACANT LOTS AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACES FOR GATHERING, RECREATION, AND EXERCISE. WE CONDUCTED NUMEROUS MEETINGS AND DELIVERED A FOUR-PART CURRICULUM TO HELP BUILD A BASE OF SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE SALTON SEA. KDI PLAYED A KEY ROLE ON THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AND APPLIED TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY (CVMC) PROPOSITION 68 FUNDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE PARKS TO PILOT A PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PROCESS AT THE SALTON SEA RECREATION AREA. OTHER EFFORTS INCLUDE THE COMPLETION AND ADOPTION OF THE RESIDENT-LED MECCA-NORTH SHORE MOBILITY PLAN WHICH PROVIDES ESSENTIAL MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE TO A REGION WITH VIRTUALLY NONE; DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF STREET BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS AS PART OF THE LA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S PEOPLE STREET PROGRAM; AND CONTINUED WORK IN OASIS WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS TO DEVELOP A 14-ACRE PUBLIC SPACE AND ACCOMPANYING ECONOMIC PROGRAMS.

KDI WORKED WITH RESIDENTS OF KIBERA, NAIROBI'S LARGEST INFORMAL SETTLEMENT, TO CONSTRUCT AND FORMALLY OPEN OUR 10TH PUBLIC SPACE FEATURING A PLAYGROUND, WATER TAP, SEATING AREA, AND FLOOD BUFFER ZONE THAT WILL BENEFIT THOUSANDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS. WE CO-DESIGNED AND STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON OUR 11TH PUBLIC SPACE IN THE VUMA COMMUNITY OF MAKINA VILLAGE, COLLECTING EXTENSIVE HOUSEHOLD DATA TO UNDERSTAND HOW COMMUNITY-DRIVEN, MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PUBLIC SPACES CAN ENABLE CLIMATE ADAPTATION. AT OUR 5TH PUBLIC SPACE, WE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION ON AND OPENED A NEW FOOTBRIDGE WITH THE CITY OF NAIROBI IN FEBRUARY CREATING SAFE ACCESS FOR THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS PER DAY. WE STARTED A NEW PROJECT TO BUILD AND EVALUATE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO WATER MANAGEMENT IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE KENYA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT TO CO-CREATE TAILORED WEATHER AND CLIMATE INFORMATION SERVICES FOR INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS. NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS INCLUDE AIR-QUALITY MONITORING TO CAPTURE THE EFFECTS OF NEW TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ON KIBERA RESIDENTS. WE WORKED WITH THE KENYA FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO START A THIRD PHASE OF CARPENTRY TRAINING FOR YOUTH FROM KIBERA, AND INITIATED A NEW DESIGN PROJECT TO UPGRADE THE INFORMAL WOODLEY MARKET. ADDITIONALLY, WE CONTINUED TO HELP OUR PARTNER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN KIBERA BUILD AND MAINTAIN INCOME-GENERATING PROGRAMS SUCH AS MICRO-FINANCING AND WATER SALES.

KDI WAS PART OF THE RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP FOR A PROJECT TO ENGAGE GIRLS AND WOMEN IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN IN A LOW-INCOME SUBURB OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. WE ALSO OVERSAW WORK WITH A PARTNER ORGANIZATION IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA TO BUILD AND EVALUATE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO WATER MANAGEMENT IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OF THE CITY THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO 2020.

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