Kacy Keys founded Praxis Development Group in 2019 with a strategy of partnering with landowners on development projects to reduce overall costs by avoiding land acquisitions. The firm works on projects spanning sectors including multifamily, mixed-use, office and retail. Based in Mid-City, many of Praxis’ projects are in Southern California including 1601 Vine, The Vermont and The Clark on 54th, a 48-unit mixed-use project in Crenshaw which is currently under construction.
What value do mixed-use projects bring to Los Angeles’s housing stock? Why do these developments work well here?
Living in London for the month, I’ve been reminded how good city life feels when everything you need is just around the corner. That’s the beauty of mixed-use development. It’s about designing neighborhoods that blend residential, commercial and community spaces so people can meet their daily needs locally – grabbing coffee, running errands or seeing friends without relying on a car. It’s a kind of convenience and connection I’m experiencing firsthand in Europe, where mixed-use design naturally supports walkable, vibrant communities.
The broader concept of the “15-minute city” builds on this idea through an approach that combines urban planning, policy and design to ensure residents can access most essentials within a short walk or bike ride. Bringing it to life means promoting mixed-use development, improving walkability and cycling infrastructure, strengthening public transit, and supporting local commerce.
In Los Angeles, mixed-use projects offer tremendous value by fostering density, sustainability and community connection. But their success depends on parallel investment in reliable transit and pedestrian infrastructure. Without that, even the best-designed projects risk becoming beautiful but disconnected – vibrant in isolation rather than part of a truly connected city.
What specific submarkets/neighborhoods of L.A. are most suitable for these developments? Where do they not work as well?
Because access to transit is such an essential part of making mixed-use development work, these projects make the most sense in areas where transit investment already exists or is on the way. While some large-scale developments can create their own ecosystem of housing, work and community life, most neighborhoods depend on a strong connection to the city around them.
I’ve worked on projects in dense areas like downtown Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Koreatown and along the Crenshaw Corridor. In theory, being close to transit should make it easier to live, work and play without needing to drive. In reality, L.A.’s transit and bikeway systems still lag far behind cities like London, New York, Tokyo and Mexico City.
For me, that gap shows up in everyday life. I often plan my day around traffic or skip going out altogether just to avoid being stuck in my car. It’s stressful, exhausting and over time, it wears down your sense of connection to your community and to the city itself. Without reliable transportation, even the best mixed-use developments struggle to work as intended.
When embarking on mixed-use developments such as The Clark on 54th and The Vermont, what is your process for coming up with the vision for projects? What development strategies have you found most successful?
Every mixed-use project we work on starts with a simple question: what’s the vision for how people will live here? For us, that means looking through a lens of quality and livability and asking what would make this place feel like home for someone. We think about the daily experience of residents – providing natural light, and quality space, where they’ll get their morning coffee, what it feels like coming home after a long day.
From there, we balance that vision with the realities of financing. A quality project that can’t be funded isn’t a project at all, so we work closely with the capital and debt markets to make sure the design ambition aligns with economic feasibility.
We’ve found that the most successful developments prioritize livable unit sizes and thoughtful design – projects where residents can step inside, leave the city’s noise behind and immediately feel at ease. When people feel a sense of comfort and belonging in their space, the entire community benefits.
The Clark on 54th is mixed income and mixed-use. What makes that a compelling combination?
We believe mixed-income, mixed-use projects are the foundation of healthy communities. When development focuses only on micro-units or 100% affordable projects – and that’s all public policy seems to support – we risk repeating the same mistakes of the past. Those kinds of single-model approaches, however well-intentioned, lead to segregation by income and also do not provide room for individuals and families to grow. History has shown us what happens when housing becomes too homogenous. The ills of public housing are well known. The Pruitt-Igoe development in St. Louis is one well-known example of how that model failed to create sustainable, thriving communities.
Our goal with The Clark on 54th is to create a place that feels like home, a place where people want to live, not just sleep. We believe mixed-income, mixed-use design offers a more balanced model for quality living, one that supports diversity, connection and long-term neighborhood vitality.
How does the target demographic of a complex impact decisions for the mixed-use component of the residential development?
The target demographic always shapes how we approach the mixed-use component, but our guiding belief is that diverse communities aren’t just socially valuable; they make better investments. Developments that serve a range of incomes, ages and lifestyles tend to stay relevant longer and create more resilient projects and economies.
Geography and socioeconomic factors influence the leasing strategy – what retail, services and amenities are needed to support daily life. A project in Koreatown, for example, may attract different retail versus one in North Hollywood or downtown. But the goal is the same: to reflect the people who live there.
Where do you see the future of the mixed-use sector, and what role do you see these projects continuing to play in the region’s housing landscape?
The future of mixed-use development in Los Angeles depends on our ability to build smarter, not just bigger. People want neighborhoods that support their lives, not isolate them. That means continuing to design projects that bring housing, work and community spaces closer together, and pairing that with real investment in transit, safety and public infrastructure.
There’s growing momentum in L.A. for walkable, connected communities, and we have a long way to go. The cogs of city and state government move slowly, and leadership is lacking. Creating livable, quality projects should be welcomed and the norm versus being a fight or a slog. As Los Angeles city and county evolve, mixed-use projects will play a critical role in shaping how people experience urban life, how they move through their days, connect with others and feel a sense of belonging where they live. The opportunity now is to keep raising the standard of quality and livability, so the future Los Angeles feels more accessible, more connected and more human.