GPRO Is a Catalyst for Change at LA Metro
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Since 2017, the U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles has delivered GPRO training to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) through the Growing a Greener Workforce program. Bringing together members of the larger community with a diverse range of Metro departments, the goal is to raise consciousness about sustainability issues and inspire action. The result is a perceptible shift in thinking, reinforced by new forms of collaboration and information-sharing within Metro and the LA community.
Inspired by the concepts in GPRO Fundamentals, Eileen Hsu from Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation presented her key takeaways at a lunch-and-learn. “It makes sense that our internal practice at Metro parallels our external social value: responsibly using resources, reducing environmental impact, and practicing resilience,” Eileen said. “I can help my department by learning the principles of sustainability and adapting them for my team’s specific functions.”
Eileen’s philosophy has led to other departments to look at their work through a sustainability lens. At the annual review of Metro’s Station Signs, Andrew Medvez of the Signage & Environmental Graphic Design team recognized an opportunity to advance sustainability using GPRO’s holistic principles.
Recognizing that existing “donut” style station signs require frequent cleaning, maintenance and replacement, Andrew looked for a more efficient solution. He realized that tilting the interior face of the sign ledge inward resulted in less dirt and bird droppings. This simple fix saves water, reduces maintenance and extends the life of the sign—and allows the team to devote more time to other projects.
GPRO training has been a catalyst for systemic change at Metro, fostering solution-based thinking on a broad range of sustainability issues. Between measurable improvements on discrete projects and an organizational culture shift, Metro is paving the way for a more resilient, sustainable city and infrastructure.
