Month-long prototype of shade structure in Oasis bus stop to be unveiled

Sunline Transit Agency, in cooperation with Kounkuey Design Initiative, will unveil a prototype shade structure at a bus stop in the Oasis area next week in an effort to demonstrate how access to shade can alleviate extreme heat in the community.  

Along with the Oasis Leadership Committee, the two organizations will unveil the prototype display at noon Monday at the SunLine bus stop at 66th Avenue and Harrison Street, according to a joint statement from KDI and STA.   

A heat-impacts study commissioned by the design company and Oasis Leadership Committee with the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA in an effort to understand the effects of drastic heat changes on Oasis residents pointed to the scarcity of shade in the area.

The shade structure will be an effort to demonstrate, over the course of one month, how the problems caused by extreme heat in Oasis can be alleviated by access to shade, according to the agencies. Residents will have the opportunity to offer feedback and possibly encourage SunLine to explore similar infrastructure options in the future.  

KDI and UCLA developed the shade structure by hosting various community design workshops with the Oasis Leadership Committee. Throughout the process, various factors were taken into account, like heat-resilient features, the pandemic, space, safety, age diversity and art.