Los Angeles

Southern California Flower Market, Google Street View

Lawsuit Puts Downtown L.A. Flower Market Development on Hold

A planned development would preserve Los Angeles's historic wholesale flower market within a 12-story mixed-use high-rise.

July 14, 2021 - Urbanize LA

Homeless encampments on the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk.

Locals Vehemently Oppose Venice Beach Homeless Housing

The controversies about homelessness in what was once a beach community full of hippies and surfers has boiled over in response to a large proposed development of supportive housing on a surface parking lot owned by the city.

July 14, 2021 - Curbed

Los Angeles State Historic Park

Documenting L.A.'s Reclaimed Industrial Sites

Community activists across the city have fought to clean up, preserve, and enhance former industrial sites as parks, community gardens, and green spaces.

July 13, 2021 - High Country News

LA Al Fresco Informational Graphic

Los Angeles Extends Outdoor Dining Program for Up to Three Years

An emergency ordinance signed by the city's mayor will allow restaurants to keep outdoor dining facilities built during the pandemic for at least one more year.

July 8, 2021 - Eater Los Angeles

Coronavirus Skies

L.A. Metro Board Approves Changes to Highway Program

The updated language clarifies that projects can include Complete Streets features, items supported by the county's voters through Measure M.

July 6, 2021 - Streetsblog L.A.

A picture of two street signs with the Hollywood Burbank and hills int he background.

Feasibility Study Approved for Pasadena, Burbank Airport Light Rail Extension

$1 million in new state funding will study the feasibility of connecting the Gold Line light rail in Pasadena to the Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California.

July 1, 2021 - Pasadena NOw

Central Los Angeles

Op-Ed: Los Angeles Needs a Countywide Affordable Housing Agency

A bill in the California state legislature would create an agency dedicated to coordinating the production and preservation of affordable housing across the county's 88 cities.

June 29, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

An aerial view of Los Angeles at dawn, with Westlake and MacArthur Park in the foreground and Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

Bus Lanes Expand Territory in Los Angeles

A new bus lane on Alvarado Street is the latest in a string of new bus lane projects in Los Angeles.

June 28, 2021 - Streetsblog LA

 The Young Apartments — 1621 South Grand Avenue, at the southern end of Downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Ordinance Will Ban Tenant Harassment

The law targets "knowing and willful" actions on the part of landlords meant to drive tenants out of rent-controlled apartments.

June 23, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Westwood, Los Angeles

Reducing Car Trips in L.A.: Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Could Be Expanded

The proposed expansion would affect smaller multi-family developments and include incentives for reducing travel during peak hours and encouraging transit, walking, and biking.

June 17, 2021 - Urbanize Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Is It Possible to Love Public Transit in Los Angeles?

The answer is "Yes!" for Kenny Uong who is passionate about L.A.'s buses and trains, knows how to get around without a car, and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

June 14, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Legalizing Street Vending: Lessons from Los Angeles

With new regulations poised to add 400 new vendors to New York City's streets every year for the next decade, city leaders can look to L.A.'s recent legalization efforts for guidance.

June 13, 2021 - Curbed

Venice Beach, Los Angeles

Supportive Housing Bridging Venice Canals Granted Planning Commission Approval in L.A.

The mixed-use Reese Davidson Community will include 140 housing units, commercial space, and a performance space.

June 11, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Central Los Angeles

L.A. Planners Working to Shift Affordable Housing Distribution for More Equitable Results

Almost all the affordable housing development in L.A. in the past decade has occurred in majority-minority neighborhoods. The L.A. Department of City Planning is looking for ways to make sure high-income areas do more of their fair share.

June 9, 2021 - Urbanize LA

Interstate Highway

L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan

The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.

June 7, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

San Fernando Valley

Misunderstanding Metros

The vernacular notion of "metro area" or "urban region" may not match up with standard political designations, like municipality, county, state, or city-state. Too bad. Ambiguity and complexity are hallmarks of today's mega-cities.

June 7, 2021 - Common Edge Collaborative

People boarding bus at LA Metro Bus Stop, Alvarado Street, Los Angeles

Can L.A. Metro Fund its Fareless Transit Pilot?

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a program that would eliminate fares for students and low-income riders, but the program's future rests on finding sustainable funding sources.

June 6, 2021 - LAist

Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Willowbrook, Los Angeles,

South Los Angeles Park Offers Hidden Benefits

Not only does the redevelopment of a large section of Earvin Magic Johnson Park in Willowbrook offer much needed green space and new amenities, it also helps to conserve water and improve water quality.

June 3, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Open Streets

CicLAvia Helping Restaurants Keep Outdoor Dining

CicLAvia is working with the city to make its "al fresco dining" program permanent.

May 27, 2021 - LAist

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.