An in-depth study of business improvement districts (BIDs) in two Los Angeles neighborhoods examines the factors behind their success or failure.
Oscar Perry Abello shares news of a comparison study published in the Urban Affairs Review journal, by SUNY Albany Assistant Professor Wonhyung Lee.
While BIDs are usually conceived as purely commercial entities, according to Abello's description of the study, "BIDs in smaller neighborhoods can serve as a pathway for more comprehensive community development."
Lee writes, "Strong community organizing by other institutions, like churches or neighbors associations, can lead to successful formation of a BID, which then becomes a vehicle for brokering productive relationships between otherwise disparate populations united by the common cause of neighborhood business growth."
Lee's research compared BIDs in two multiethnic L.A. neighborhoods: the Byzantine-Latino Quarter and MacArthur Park. The first succeeded while the second foundered. Lee identifies three primary factors behind the Byzantine-Latino Quarter's success: 1) strong, entrenched leadership, 2) organizational resources and connections, and 3) a positive atmosphere around diversity and ethnicity.
FULL STORY: Community Organizing Powers BIDs in Multiethnic Neighborhoods
Court Ruling Imperils Los Angeles BIDs
The Arts District Business Improvement District in downtown Los Angeles was recently ordered to dissolve by a Superior Court judge for providing dubious economic development services. Other area BIDs fear the ruling could threaten their operations.
BIDs: Big Brother or Benevolent Boosters?
Should a business improvement district have an expiration date? That's the question some property owners in downtown Los Angeles are beginning to ask as they chafe at the "aggressive cleaning up" and additional tax assessments that fund them.
L.A. Tenants Link Planned 'Design District' to Displacement
Community leaders say a design district in Westlake could pave the way for the erasure of L.A's Historic Filipinotown.
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The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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