Now imagine all of this happening within the small City of San Fernando, which is surrounded by Los Angeles one of the most populous metropolises in the United States of America.

This small city, with a population of only 25,000, lies in the northern portion of San Fernando Valley and is a short distance to the Angeles National Forest. Yet for a community that was first to be established in the valley originally named Valle de Encino, or the Valley of Oaks, it currently lacks any significant connection to the natural world.

One way to foster this connection is to create a bike path that connects the residents of San Fernando and the surrounding communities to the trails in the Angeles National Forest via a vegetated path along Pacoima Wash. This trail would also connect the community to an existing bike path that runs along First Street, to a future high school and middle school, three sites considered for open space, a retail and Cineplex development, and possibly to the region as a whole through cooperation with the City of Los Angeles.

Another way to foster a connection to nature is by integrating the bike path and open space into a greenway running along the Pacoima Wash which allows the City of San Fernando to explore regenerative options for the wash, such as increasing permeability, creating wildlife habitat, natural pollution controls, and stormwater treatment.

By thinking regionally, ecologically, and socially, the City of San Fernando has partnered with Studio 606 to take a leading role in a region that has typically been underserved by Los Angeles and spur greater regional investment in ecologically and socially responsible public projects.

Who is 606 Studio?

The 606 studio is a consortium of faculty and graduate students in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the California Polytechnic University, Pomona. The studio promotes the application of advanced methods of analysis and design with particular emphasis on the preservation and restoration of sensitive natural systems. Projects address serious and important ecological, social, and aesthetic issues related to urban, suburban and rural or natural landscapes.

Teams of third-year graduate students and members of the graduate faculty carry out projects. Working with the direction and continuous participation of the faculty group, graduate students perform the tasks of research, analysis, planning, and presentation. Design approaches vary considerably depending on the scope and character of the project. In every case, the approach fits within the framework of Ecosystematic Design developed by the Cal Poly Pomona graduate program. This approach stresses sensitive understanding of principles of ecology, particularly the systematic behavior of material and energy flows, in relation to human uses.

The academic studio environment offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to explore issues and possibilities. Because it functions within an educational institution, the 606 Studio bears the responsibility to maintain academic integrity, advance the state of the art, and contribute to public well-being. The real nature of theses projects has a strong practical base, as well as a display of technical and professional expertise.

606 Studio
Department of Landscape Architecture
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA 91768

Last Updated: Monday, February 9, 2004