Struggling to recover from the pandemic, businesses in downtown Los Angeles are trying fresh new ideas to help bring back customers, revitalize the area, and deter crime.

With many office spaces remaining vacant after some employers shifted to a work-from-home model, DTLA only sees 65% of the foot traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to one study.

The South Park Business Improvement District installed roughly 10,000 feet of string lights hanging on trees to illuminate 11th Street from Broadway to L.A. Live. The organization is hopeful that the lighting will make the area more inviting to customers.

City officials say the lights — which were lit up for the first time on Monday — will be a permanent fixture.

“These lights are one of many placemaking projects that we’ll do in this neighborhood,” said Nolan Marshall, the Executive Director of the South Park Business Improvement District. “Simple, little improvements that [we] will make.”

A little less than 100,000 people live in DTLA, and some residents welcome the idea of trying to improve their neighborhood.

“I’ve been watching downtown develop a lot,” said DTLA resident Justin Orkin to KTLA 5’s Carlos Saucedo. “It’s had its ups and downs, it needs more investment.”

A portion of the lights have been installed near the Ocean Towers, where vandals covered the three buildings in graffiti. The city has spent millions of dollars on the cleanup. L.A. City Councilman Kevin De Leon says the sale of the Ocean Towers could play a pivotal role in helping to rebuild DTLA.

“Ultimately, when we have that buyer who buys those three buildings, you’ll see a major improvement in DTLA,” De Leon said.

The Los Angeles City Planning Department aims to add 175,000 new residents, 70,000 apartment units, and 55,000 jobs to DTLA by 2040, as part of its plan to revitalize the area.