The Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts, California is a perfect example of the failed projects of built mid-century. A new proposal would tear down the towers in favor of a mix of building styles connecting to the surrounding area.
Sam Lubell writes, "The masterplan would replace the 49-acre complex's 700-plus townhouse-style units with 1,600 to 1,800 units built in a much more diverse mix of sizes and styles, including bungalows, courtyard housing, and stacked apartments. According to John Ellis, WRT Solomon's director of urban design, the diversity is intended to make the area 'feel like part of the surrounding neighborhood, not like a segregated and isolated piece of development, as it has been in the past.'"
The Housing Authority is in the middle of the EIR, which it plans on finalizing in September.
FULL STORY: Downs Gets Up
L.A. Councilmember Proposes Social Housing Model
Inspired by the success of Vienna, Austria, Los Angeles leaders are considering public housing as a faster, more effective way to curb the city’s homelessness crisis.
Candyman's Real Horror: American Public Housing Policy
The new film, set in one of America's most notorious public housing projects, highlights the failure of affordable housing policy and its impact on Black communities.
The Long Wait for Section 8
It's hard to get Section 8 vouchers, and getting a voucher doesn't guarantee you'll find a place that will take them. Almost half of voucher recipients can't find a landlord who’ll accept them.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service