Thank You, Urban Land Institute!

The Mar Vista Community was honored to be one of three finalists in the Enterprise category for the first annual LARC Awards that were presented on December 5th by the Urban Land Institute!


Read about the awards at Fast Company, where they touted Mar Vista as "possibly one of the most progressive in the city, with initiatives like Open Mar Vista, an ambitious social network and community Web site that includes information for programs like a neighborhood-wide solar roll-out."

The mission of the LARC Awards (Los Angeles Real Creativity) is to encourage and reward brave, innovative and potentially world-changing thought and to honor those who have distinguished themselves through unparalleled creative achievement. The Enterprise category recognizes an especially effective and innovative company, group, program, grass roots initiative, community organization or social movement.

Thank you, ULI for placing us in such esteemed company!

Describe your “team” – the people who have allowed you to achieve this level of success.

Mar Vista is blessed with a creative spirit that runs through the community – at the outset the challenge was to enable those people to find each other. The process has been organic and began with the formation of the Mar Vista Community Council. Zones and neighborhoods within Mar Vista began forming, with members communicating with neighbors, developing and working on projects of interest. Mar Vista Park has provided us with tremendous support and from the very early days, has always been there as a community seat. The idea for a Mar Vista Farmers Market inspired an NPO that retained its ties to the MVCC. With the market we suddenly had a Sunday morning town square. The MVCC booth at the Farmers Market provided the Community Council an informal place to hear from residents’ first hand – and for the residents to interact with community sponsored projects and concerns. This core – both in spirit and with a physical presence – gave people a forum and a means of coming together and the environmental efforts began to blossom. As events were organized, they became a catalyst to draw in more talent and the core began to grow. The team morphs as people respond to needs – some are more visible then others: some invest 30 hours a week while others may make one single contribution that insures success. It is always collaboration.

Video on Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase

Radio interview with community members about the MVCC Green Committee

Radio interview with community members about the Go Solar Initiative

Photo - assembled participants of 2009 Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase

Please describe the “inspiration” behind your Enterprise.

It’s as simple as wanting to make this a better place to live. Having found others with shared values and a vision for change, a common purpose naturally evolved, and we nourished that growth. The mechanism for reaching out to the community was already in place. We realized we had become a team. Each volunteer involved has a passion and a desire to make a difference with constructive environmental change at the core. Participants began to feel a broader connection to our community. There is something contagious about this process. Interest, ideas and participation flourish. This occurs at a manageable scale where residents and the business community of Mar Vista can actively participate and realize results. Individuals were no longer islands in this urban landscape, but part of something – an eco focus seems to weave into everything we are doing. Not only could we accomplish great things in our own community, but inspire and mentor other communities in the process. Some of the change is subtle and takes place quietly, while at other times it’s a larger event.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said; “To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...
to leave the world a better place...
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.”

Photo - Council Member Bill Rosendahl joins the community as we launch composting at the Mar Vista Farmers Market.

Please tell us how you see your Enterprise is changing, or will change, the world.

By accomplishing so much while spending so little, and with volunteer effort others may be challenged to aspire for more and foster similar efforts of their own. A scalable model has been created, one that continues to evolve, and which can be replicated by others. The process has been one of empowerment; the potential for which continues to grow while demonstrating there is so much more that can be done at the community level. Many of the large issues of sustainability are rooted in individual behavior. By highlighting positive solutions, broadening public awareness, and deepening a sense of community, we offer a means of challenging others and ourselves.


Article about Mar Vista as a community role model.

Photo - MVCC presented with one of two awards for environmental efforts out of 89 LA community councils by the City of LA Department of Neighborhood Empowerment at Empower LA

With our sincere appreciation to ULI for considering us for the LARC Awards, which helps us spread the word and inspire others!