Ricardo Lara Park provides numerous amenities for the residents of a community that has been long divided and isolated by the freeway.

Ricardo Lara Park represents the transformation of 5.25 acres of vacant lots along an I-105 freeway embankment into a mile-long park that addresses the needs of the community. SWA collaborated with the nonprofit From Lot to Spot to conduct community outreach; this lively exchange of ideas contributed to the park’s unique identity, structure, and function.

Cross streets divide the park into five blocks, and each block accommodates a different program: dog park, fitness stations, play structures, community gardening and education, and passive recreation with artwork and storm water detention. The park will connect with the LARIO Bike Trail and promotes healthy lifestyles in support of Lynwood’s “Healthy City Initiative.”