UCLA faculty awarded grant to study L.A. County turf replacement program

UCLA Researchers are awarded a grant from the LA Metropolitan Water District to study the efficacy of their Turf Replacement Program in single-family homes.

The Metropolitan Water District recently awarded Stephanie Pincetl, director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA, Tom Gillespie, professor of Geography, and Diane Pataki, University of Utah professor of Biology, a grant to study the ecological and environmental impacts of their turf replacement program. The program was an unprecedented investment in landscape transformation, devoting $350 million over two years to remove lawns on residential, commercial, and industrial property. The first stage of the project focuses on single-family homes in Los Angeles County. The team’s objectives include inventorying what materials are chosen to serve as replacements, quantifying the water conservation benefits, and determining whether participation in turf replacement inspires a domino effect in neighborhoods.

This post was written by Conor Cusack. He is a geography/ environmental studies major in his senior year, an outdoor enthusiast and a writer for Sustainable LA Grand Challenge.