rest stops: thriving in the thresholds of altadena

rest stops - inquiries
rest stops - inquiries

mission:

Rest Stops is a garden initiative born in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. Artist, Kenturah Davis, was born and raised in Altadena, and returned in 2022 to raise her family and continue her art practice. After the significant losses of both her home and parents' home, it quickly became clear that the recovery of her community would be slow and multi-faceted. Recognizing that some residents may not be able to rebuild right away, the project embarks on designing a series of sensory threshold gardens to provide reprieve amidst the barren landscape. Inspired by quilting traditions of the Black community, this project imagines a patchwork of new green spaces designed to create surprising and enriching encounters. The goal is to design and install ten gardens by the end of 2027, at no cost to the residents. Through partnerships with local property owners, native plant experts, suppliers, and mental health advocates, the project reimagines public and private thresholds- offering resilient, restorative spaces that nurture both people and the environment.

Altadena: A Rich History & Ecological Sanctuary

CREATING COMMUNAL GREEN SPACES THAT INVITE REST AND REFLECTION, WHILE DRAWING ON ALTADENA’S ECOLOGICAL, CLIMATIC, MIGRATIONAL, AND SOCIAL HISTORIES TO FOSTER RESILIENCE AND HEALING.

As a foothill community long defined by its deep connection to nature, Altadena also carries a rich legacy as a haven for Black families, teachers, and artists who migrated herein the 1950s and ’60s, building a vibrant cultural community despite red lining. Today, we face the convergence of climate change, housing disparities, and displacement. In the wake of the Eaton Fire, new insurance and municipal codes threaten to compound the loss of our tree canopy with one-size-fits-all planting restrictions. This project responds with adaptable garden designs that embrace natural materials and innovative irrigation systems, creating spaces of healing where residents can gather, reflect, and rebuild stability and belonging while supporting ecological renewal and community resilience. As Altadena embarks on the long road of recovery, the gardens will provide an intimate oasis as the community rises from the ashes.

““Every seed we plant is a prayer for the future. It’s a quiet revolution, an act of hope and healing in a world that needs both.””
— Leah Penniman

Rest Stops: Design Features

GREEN SPACES FOR HEALING, ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

Nestled throughout the historically Black and Brown neighborhoods of Altadena, each Rest Stop will transform vacant lots and front-yard spaces into pockets of healing and reflection. Focused on the neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue, the corridors that endured the hardest impacts of the fire, these green spaces will offer respite for residents navigating the long road to recovery.

Each garden design will feature seating, shade, water, edibles and aromatherapy with a largely native plant selection positioned at the front edge of each site. They will also support soil remediation and lay the ground work for restoring the natural habitats that have long defined Altadena’s foothills. Davis will engage with community stake holders to identify properties for this initiative and partner with the owners to select from a catalogue of native and edible plants, including species known for detoxifying soils and supporting local wildlife — creating landscapes that are both fire-resilient and restorative. Where possible, a blanket of seasonal wildflowers could extend to the rest of the property.

design element mockups:

  • 1 of 9

  • 2 of 9

  • 3 of 9

  • 4 of 9

  • 5 of 9

  • 6 of 9

  • 7 of 9

  • 8 of 9

  • 9 of 9

Rest Stops: Sustainability and Upkeep

The project budget will account for funding to implement the gardens for over two years. Beyond professional support, we are partnering with senior citizen groups, local community organizations, and schools to create a collaborative stewardship program.Working alongside ecological experts, these community partners will help care for and sustain the gardens, fostering both ecological resilience and neighborhood engagement.

community use

pedestrian rest stops:

A place to pause and sit as one moves through the neighborhood; an oasis of greenery inserted among other sites in various stages of reconstruction. Areas for rest, mindfulness, and personal reflection amid natural surroundings.

walking tours:

Guided tours to each of the gardens can demonstrate the range of planting possibilities and connect neighbors with each other.

educational environmental workshops:

Spaces for residents, especially youth, to learn about native plants, fire resilience, medicinal and ecological restoration. Landscaping, culinary and natural dyeing workshops will be facilitated using the garden harvests.

The impact of gardening on well‐being, mental health, and quality of life

An umbrella review which included 40 studies(10 interventional studies, 2 observational studies, and 28 mixed interventional and observational studies)was published in 2024. The reviewed studies reported an overall positive impact of gardening activities on several measures of mental well-being, quality of life, and health status. Meta-analysis showed a significant and positive effect of gardening and HT activities on well-being (effect size (ES) 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23, 0.87, p<0.001).

Panțiru etal. Systematic Reviews (2024)

I. Panțiru 1A. Ronaldson 2, N. Sima 3, A. Dregan 4 and R. Sima 1

WELL‐BEING
"Overall, the included reviews documented a positive effect of gardening and/or horticultural therapy on multiple measures of psychological well-being (e.g.neighborhood cohesion, trust, and social networking)and physiological well-being. All gardening activities and interventions appeared to provide benefits to psychological and/or physiological well-being."
MENTAL HEALTH
"The included reviews that examined health status were unanimous in documenting a positive impact of gardening activities on a range of mental health outcomes, such as depression and anxiety symptoms, stress, mood disturbance, and cognitive function"
QUALITY OF LIFE
"Regarding quality of life (QoL) outcomes, standard indicators of QoL included life satisfaction, social safety, security, and freedom. The majority of the included reviews reported improvements in different aspects of quality of life (social relations/connections, independent living, and health status) related to horticultural therapy and gardening. Community gardens also had beneficial effects on QoL (e.g. personal control, self-esteem, social connections) both among vulnerable and general populations"

rest stops: timeline

  • Phase 1: Research and Development (Fall 2025- Summer 2026)

    - research ecological history of Altadena

    - research native garden typologies for the development of the garden prototypes.

    - design and prototype various seating options

    - develop irrigation system

    - facilitate community gatherings and submission protocol to identify ten properties for the RestStops

    - create catalogue of planting options for residents to select

    - reassess budget based onR&D

    - pre-order plant material for fall planting season

  • Phase 2: Prototyping (Fall 2026- Spring 2027)

    - exhibition at Crenshaw Dairy Mart: presentation of prototypes for garden design

    - continue fundraising

    - install first garden at Site 1 in Fall planting season

    - Design community engagement workshops

  • Phase 3: Implementation (Summer - Fall 2027)

    - finalize garden designs per site

    - install the remaining garden rest stops

    - if there is budget remaining, extend planting scope to cover larger areas of land

    - facilitate guided tours of Rest Stop gardens (could include existing gardens that survived Eaton Fire)

    - plan community workshops: gardening, medicinal planting; natural dyeing, quilting