Skid Row Mapping
Los Angeles, California
Downtown LA's Skid Row is one of the nation's most densely populated unhoused communities. This participatory mapping project shares the lived experience of Skid Row through residents' own voices.
SALT worked with residents and advocates to create a map that layers personal histories, community landmarks, neighborhood heroes, and practical resources.
Skid Row, In Its Own Voice
Skid Row, in Downtown Los Angeles, spans roughly 50 city blocks and is home to over 3,500 unhoused individuals. It is a place of complex histories, strong social networks, and daily resilience.
Dozens of Skid Row service maps already exist. In partnership with Housing for Health, a division of LA County, SALT developed a map that instead celebrates lived experiences and community landmarks. This storytelling tool celebrates the neighborhood’s identity and offers a human, grounded understanding of the community.
A Tool for Connection
The resulting map layers fixed services and resources with ephemeral ones, such as sidewalk spaces where known community members provide informal support. The graphic also integrates direct quotes, historical context, and celebration of heroes who have shaped the community.
By integrating personal stories, historical context, and social nuance, the Skid Row Mapping Project reflects the identity and complexity of the neighborhood. This approach captures insights often overlooked by conventional mapping.
Below, we share a number of quotes shared by Skid Row residents through the engagement process.
Community Engagement
"When I first came to Skid Row, I was introduced to a man named Cake Man, and Cake Man will make your day—super cool, breakfast sandwiches, best cake you could have. Everyone knows him."
— Skid Row Resident, Project Participant
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