Some projects take years to coalesce, and for years, I’ve been fascinated by creative ways to make streets safer and more pedestrian-friendly.
Released in March 2022, the Asphalt Art Safety Study found that city streets with asphalt art became significantly safer for pedestrians after incorporating art into roadway redesigns.
Painted crosswalks have become commonplace as a pedestrian safety measure across the United States and around the world. The instantly recognizable white stripes guide pedestrians and alert drivers to pay extra attention.
A growing trend involves cities replacing traditional uniform white crosswalks with colorful, eye-catching alternatives that serve both as art and enhanced safety tools. Cities often install creative crosswalks as an artistic community enhancement or even a municipal branding effort, and they can also offer safety benefits. Drivers tend to notice patterns and bright colors more than the familiar white paint on asphalt.
To this end, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District was awarded a Port of Los Angeles Community Grant last year and is using the funds to install a wayfinding demonstration site for an artist-designed crosswalk at 6th and Harbor. Additionally, Arts United San Pedro funded a second crosswalk at the bottom of 6th Street, parallel to Harbor. Both crosswalks are set to be installed by late June or early July.
We have been collaborating with Creative Paving Solutions, the vendor responsible for supplying the materials and performing the necessary labor for the completion of the project.
We conducted an extensive Call for Qualifications to solicit artist ideas for these crosswalks, received over 27 submissions, and created a social media program to engage the community in the final choice of artists. You might have seen the designs by three of the semi-finalists—Daisuke Okamoto, Rachel Berkowitz, and Lua Kobayashi—on Instagram.
Based on your feedback, we hired Lua Kobayashi for her design of bluefin tuna swimming across the street.
Lua explains, “I am thrilled to have designed this crosswalk to honor my heritage. The piece, titled Furusato (Home Sweet Home), honors the Japanese American fishing community of Terminal Island, once affectionately known by this name. Drawing inspiration from traditional Gyotaku—the Japanese art of fish printing used to commemorate the catch of the day—Pacific bluefin tuna appear across the crosswalk in rich blue hues, evoking the spirit of koinobori streamers flown on Children’s Day. This design pays tribute to the fishermen whose traditions and innovations helped shape the identity and legacy of San Pedro. Inspired by archival photos and the movement of Miyazaki films, the work invites pedestrians into a living memory of the sea and those who worked it. I feel a real connection to this area as my great-grandfather transported fish from Terminal Island to greater Los Angeles, when my family was first trying to become established in this country.”
Kobayashi is a California-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video, and installation. A 2019 graduate of UCLA with a BA in Art, her work is motivated by a desire to uncover the hidden stories embedded in everyday objects, places, and people. Her curiosity stems from her upbringing in suburban California and her family’s experience with the Japanese American incarceration camps—histories that continue to inform and shape her artistic practice. Her work has been showcased in juried exhibitions across the U.S., culminating in a debut solo exhibition, “Where a Forest Once Grew”—co-sponsored by Aratani and the UCLA Asian American Studies Department in 2023.
Stay tuned for information about the unveiling of this crosswalk during the Art District Guided ArtWalk Tour. spt
