Abdiel

My name is Abdiel and I was born and raised in LA. At twenty-six I moved to attend college in Mexico City. My experience living abroad helped me see that America is losing a lot of third spaces. Many countries integrate parks into their urban infrastructure, LA on the other hand requires people to drive to the closest public park. Third spaces, like public parks, are a great way for a community to thrive naturally by building relationships with one another. If you look around we have families from different countries, ethnicities and backgrounds. People from different ages all in one place and all convening for the purpose of building healthy lives.

People should come to LA State Historic Park because it is a common space, a neutral ground, where people can walk and exercise. The train stops nearby making it more accessible. There is public art and installations to be experienced here. It is a space to be in relationship with one another and the world around us. At parks we can engage with the beautification of our neighborhoods. It is almost like this allows us to breathe and that’s what we need, space to breathe.