The Office of Community Beautification envisions a City where every neighborhood is a clean, green, and a beautiful place to live, work, and play.

Our mission is to inspire, educate, and empower people to take actions to improve and beautify their community and environment.

#BEAUTIFY LA

Our Team

We have a dynamic team of professionals to assist you with your beautification needs in your community. Contact us if you have questions, concerns or new ideas on how we can partner in your community!

MEET THE TEAM

OUR 2019 IMPACT

361 clean up events – working with 26,809 volunteers from businesses, schools, and nonprofits across Los Angeles!

26,056,756 square footage of graffiti removed!

141,031 trash bags collected!

BEAUTIFYING LOS ANGELES TOGETHER.

The City of Los Angeles, Board of Public Works, Office of Community Beautification (OCB) seeks to create a clean and beautiful Los Angeles by forming partnerships with volunteers, residents, community based organizations, and non-profit agencies, focusing on volunteerism and beautification efforts.

OCB engages in community beautification by providing graffiti removal services, coordination of volunteer cleanup efforts and involvement with other beautification efforts. OCB programs are designed to empower neighborhoods and community groups. By utilizing OCB services, participants improve their environment while building partnerships with the City of Los Angeles.

OCB provides a variety of services and programs such as graffiti abatement, volunteer programs, public right-of-way cleanups, the adopt-a-median program, and the sidewalk rebate program. If you spot an area with excessive weed encroachments and loose litter, please contact the coordinator in your area.

NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES

OCB Milestones & Timeline

1987

Then-Mayor Tom Bradley & Public Works President Ed Avila started Operation Clean Sweep with the goal of helping communities clean up litter.

1988

Operation Clean Sweep starts the Adopt-A-Median project to help community groups with development ideas.

1989

Operation Clean Sweep hired Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to launch an anti-graffiti Educational Outreach Program.

1989-1991

Over the last 3 years CBOs all now proactively remove graffiti throughout the City of Los Angeles.

1991

The Nuisance Alley Program was launched.

1993

Operation Clean Sweep develops a Zero Tolerance policy for graffiti.

1998

The anti-graffiti Educational Outreach Program was created. Over 250 schools a year were visited by request. Due to the high demand, Operation Clean Sweep contracted with the Gang Alternatives Program (GAP).

1999

Community Beautification Grant Program starts. Starting year, the competitive grants were $5,000. Grantees were chosen by neighborhood review panels. Over 12,000 community development projects were funded throughout LA. By 2001 OCB hit its first 100 projects completed under the competitive grant program. The grant program ran till 2013.

2000

Added public right of way clean ups and weed abatement as a service.

2006

Operation Clean Sweep was renamed to the Office of Community Beautification (OCB).

2009-2014

OCB experienced budget challenges that lead to the discontinuation of programs starting with the Nuisance Alley Program, the Anti-graffiti education program.

2014

Rain barrel program was developed through KLAB. Program is currently inactive pending funding.

2016

Sidewalk Rebate Program for property owners is created.

2018

OCB hosts its First Annual Beautification Conference.

"I just wanted to extend my thanks for the great service you provided and I am delighted at the quick response and attention placed to my concern. As a new homeowner in the Los Angeles Area, I am pleased and grateful. Thanks!" - El Sereno Resident

"You are amazing! Thank you so much for your quick response and good job removing the graffiti at Morella Avenue yesterday!" - Valley Village resident

"The workers did an excellent job of the graffiti removal for us and we are deeply appreciative of their wonderful work and kindness shown to us. Thank you for the prompt response and for reassuring us that if it appears again, we may contact you again!" - Mar Vista resident

"Please tell everyone there that we truly appreciate their work and that our neighborhood looks amazing because of their continued effort." - Jefferson Park resident

"Thank you so much for helping us host a beautification event in our neighborhood . Everybody on our block applauds you. If only other areas of life worked this seamlessly." - South Los Angeles resident

Reach Us Here!

Contact our team with partnership ideas, questions or concerns related to our programs and your community. You can submit your comments regarding our programs or services including Graffiti Abatement, Community Beautification Grants, Volunteer Clean-up support, etc. We look forward to hearing from you!

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200 N. Spring Street, Room 356
Los Angeles, CA 90012-4801

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213-978-0228

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BPW.communitybeautification@lacity.org