About Us
Founded in 2009
Founder Larry Smith has provided leadership and project management within the environmental community of the Southwest U.S. in a variety of capacities within the Public Works Development Sector and various Green Industry Sectors for over 35 years. This includes Public Works & Parks Construction Project Management, Community Based Urban Greening Planning, and Low Impact Development Planning & Construction. Experience highlights from 1989-2023 include:
2017 to Current - Project Manager/Construction Manager for the: 1) Parque Dos Rios Habitat Restoration project (2018-2021); 2) Marshall Canyon Campground infrastructure construction project (2020-2021); 3) Heritage Point Park construction project (2021-2022); and 4) Wrigley Greenbelt construction project (2021-2023).
2009 to 2017 – Project Manager of several innovative projects on behalf of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LA Corps), including the: 1) Completion of the Compton Creek Natural Park Construction Project (2011-2013); 2) Laurel Canyon Blvd. Green Street Construction Project (2015-2017); 3) San Pedro Urban Greening Implementation Plan Project (2014-2017); 4) Los Angeles River Veteran Tribute Park Community Based Planning and Concept Design Project (2012-2013); and 5) California Tree Academy (2010-2012).
During that same time Mr. Smith prepared a number of successful grant applications and proposals that either funded new projects or funded the completion of several of the aforementioned projects that had otherwise been stalled for need of additional funding. All told, these proposals garnered approximately $7,300,000 of foundation and government funding for new and existing projects.
2004-2009 - Executive Director of North East Trees (NET), a 501-c3 non-profit in Los Angeles, during which time he directed innovative smart green infrastructure projects. Under his leadership NET's revenue grew 250% and diversified from 0% private funding to 25% private funding. Overall, he was responsible for raising nearly $15 million for general support, program development and project implementation. Notable construction projects included the Oros Green Street Project, and the Glendale Los Angeles River Parkway.
1994-2003 - Business development and project management of large-scale urban forestry projects in California and Hawaii. Some as the Western US Region Urban Forestry Program Manager for the Davey Resource Group, a division of the Davey Tree Company, and some as an independent consultant. The most notable of these were the: 1) Honolulu GIS-based Street Tree Inventory; 2) Los Angeles Street Tree Inventory; 3) Long Beach Street Tree and Infrastructure Inventory Project; and 4) City of Lake Forest Urban Forest Master Plan (on behalf of the Davey Resource Group); and the Honolulu Urban Forest Management Plan (as an independent consultant).
1989-1993 - Assistant Project Manager/Senior Urban Designer for Daniel Mann Johnson Mendenhall (DMJM) a major engineering and architecture company within AECOM, during which he worked on several major rail and other mass transportation projects within the Greater Los Angeles Area. These included the: 1) Los Angeles to Long Beach Blue Line Light Rail 23-mile Landscape Construction Project; 2) Los Angeles Green Line Light Rail Landscape Construction Project; 3) Los Angeles Red Line Subway Station Landscape Construction Project; and 4) Greater Los Angeles Electric Trolley Bus Project. During this period, Mr. Smith also completed the Lankershim Boulevard (North Hollywood Community in Los Angeles) Revitalization Plan Project as a pro bono project.
Public Policy Advocacy - Throughout his career in the 1990’s and into the 2000's, Mr. Smith was involved in the Los Angeles River Task Force (1990-1992) and Los Angeles Urban Forest Task Force (1991-1993) and other policy making activities. He was a member of the Los Angeles River Task Force that began to codify the recognition that the River should be treated as a key resource to be revitalized as a source of life-nurturing water rather than a water/wastewater conveyance channel to literally flush water down the drain as it had been since it was channelized in the 1930’s. This work built on the advocacy work led by Lewis McAdams, founder of Friends of the LA River, and put into action by Scott Wilson, Founder of North East Trees, a local environmental non-profit operating out of northeast Los Angeles, that initiated the planting of trees and design/construction of pocket parks along the upper banks of the LA River in the Glendale Narrows section of the River.
As mentioned earlier, Mr. Smith was fortunate enough to be able to build upon the founding work by Scott Wilson while the Executive Director of NET (1994-1999) to lead the development of pocket parks along sections of the LA River south of downtown Los Angeles, as well as the development of the first “Green Street” in Los Angeles (Oros Green Street - 2005-2007). The latter was the catalyst for the publication of the, "Green Streets & Green Alleys Design Guidelines Standards, 1st Edition, September 4, 2009". This development was critical to being able to streamline similar projects from conception through implementation.
Also, during the early 1990’s, he was a founding member of the Los Angeles Urban Forest Task Force, for which he authored a report that created the Los Angeles Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC), which began a process of recognizing and codifying the urban forest as a vital public works infrastructure system. Under his leadership as the Chair of CFAC (created in 1994) from 1995-1996, he spearheaded the development and incorporation of such language into the City’s new General Plan Framework.
Mr. Smith’s skills include project management and construction management from pre-construction through construction completion, urban greening planning/community-based planning, grant writing and business development, public speaking and preparation of urban forest management plans and contract urban forestry services.