WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood teamed up with urban design and planning firm, Gehl Studio, to design and install temporary 6-month pilot projects on the Sunset Strip to expand walkability and create a more pedestrian friendly environment for residents and visitors.

The goal of the project is:

-Develop and install 3 temporary pilot projects on Sunset for 6-months to improve walkability and create a more comfortable environment for  residents and visitors

-Develop a Streetlife Action Framework Plan to identify key takeaways of  pilots and future and more permanent streetscape recommendations  on Sunset. Recommendations may include: corridor-length streetscape improvements, intersection treatments, site-specific interventions and  programming.

-Develop  conceptual design options for east/ west gateways

The city of West Hollywood website notes that the project has been dubbed ‘The Sunset Experience,’ and will feature light poles wrapped in bright colors with directions to restaurants and clubs, including historic facts about the Strip; painted extensions of the sidewalks at key intersections, narrowing the distance to cross some streets while adding a colorful and driver-aware flair to the roadway; and a shaded and screened seating area called a “parklet” which will be installed at an on-street loading zone adjacent to Book Soup, located at 8818 Sunset Boulevard.

A launch for the event will take place on Tuesday, December 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the parklet at Book Soup. Members of the community can meet project planners, discuss and give feedback on the project. Visit www.weho.org/sunsetexperience for more details about The Sunset Experience.

The painted sidewalk extensions are being created by the street artist, The Art of Chase. This installation joins Pattern Park, by the same artist which currently surrounds the parking lot located on the Sunset Strip on the north side of Sunset Boulevard from Sherbourne Drive to the east and Horn Avenue to the west, near the Tower Records building. Chase’s work is featured in West Hollywood’s automated parking garage, in Bay 3. More details about the artist can be found at www.theartofchase.com.

For more details, contact Garen Gary Srapyan, Associate Planner for the city of West Hollywood, at (323) 848-6827, or gsrapyan@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY (323) 848-6496.