City Councilmember Heather Hutt is proposing the closure of a stretch of 6th Street in the heart of Koreatown to create new public open space.

In a motion introduced on August 22, Hutt requests that the Department of Transportation conduct a weekend pilot program to close 6th Street to vehicle traffic for a four-block stretch between Catalina Street to the east and Normandie Avenue to the west. Under this plan, that closure would be followed by a campaign to solicit feedback from nearby residents and users of 6th Street  to seek recommendations for a permanent closure to vehicular traffic.

Hutt points out that Koreatown is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles, yet also ranks among its most park poor. Large green spaces are located at the neighborhood's fringes, including Lafayette Park and Seoul International Park, but no similar facilities are located within central Koreatown - although a small pocket park is currently under construction at the Pio Pico Library's parking lot.

In pitching the proposal, Hutt points to a temporary closure of an adjacent stretch of Wilshire between Catalina and Alexandria Avenue from 2021, when Streets For All, Walk n' Rollers, and the Koreatown Neighborhood Council hosted a block party in the temporary vacated street. A follow-up survey saw 77.8 percent of respondents stating support for a closure of a portion of 6th Street to create a plaza.

Hutt has recently initiated motions proposing several park projects within her district, which stretches from Koreatown into South Los Angeles.

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