Los Angeles

L.A. Planning Referendum, Measure S, Soundly Defeated
Measure S and an oddly timed election brought planning and development to the center of the public consciousness in Los Angeles for a few months. The voters resoundingly supported one side of the issue.

Los Angeles Planning Reforms Respond to Measure S
Councilmember José Huizar weighs the city's new rules against those proposed by the upcoming ballot measure.

In Building Homes Near Highways, L.A. Ignores a Public Health Issue
Los Angeles seems primed for a development boom, but when developments are built near highways there can be serious health consequences.

Why Elon Musk Is Wrong about His Boring Solution to L.A.'s Traffic Congestion
Herbie Huff of the UCLA's Lewis Center and Institute of Transportation Studies pens a well-reasoned opinion for the Los Angeles Times as to why a market-based strategy to manage demand is the best approach to traffic congestion in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County Looking for Ways to Fund Stormwater Management
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl made the announcement at the recent VerdeXchange Conference.

Los Angeles Takes On Equity and Resilience With New Parks Funding
City and county leaders shared their plans for millions in new annual revenue at the 2017 VerdeXchange Conference.

Los Angeles Nixes Transit Station Naming Rights Idea
The critical turning point for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's naming rights proposal can be summed up by an old adage: beggars can't be choosers.

Map: The Towers Changing the L.A. Skyline
In Los Angeles, Curbed has declared 2016 "the year of the skyscraper."

Tech Success Contrasts With Immigrants' Peril In Los Angeles
The 800,000 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles County are at the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum from the 1,900 employees at Snapchat. The fate of both populations have deep implications for L.A.'s housing crisis.

How Los Angeles Can Design for Density
Good urban design can make growth more appealing.

Measure S Is Just Bad Policy
Measure S gives city leaders a moderately satisfying smack across the face. As satisfying as that may be, Measure S is remarkably bad planning and development policy at the expense of the vast majority of Angelinos.

Los Angeles to Update Community Plans Every 6 Years
Los Angeles has approved new rules aimed at increasing accountability in the planning process—and at preempting a more severe approach promised by an upcoming ballot measure.

The Strong, Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge Awards $90 Million
Six regions have been selected for funding as part of the Strong, Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge, or SPARCC. A local news outlet reports on the potential benefits of the program for Atlanta.

The Case Against the Los Angeles 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative'
The dust from the November election is far from settled, but Los Angeles is already headed back to the ballot box in March. The big ticket item for planning in the city: Measure S, also known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative.

Los Angeles' Plan to Cool Down
Los Angeles has a heat problem, and it's getting worse. But the Mayor's Office is taking on the challenge.

A First Look at Big Bus Rapid Transit Plans in Los Angeles
A proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) route for Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles was approved in Measure M, the transportation sales tax approved by L.A. County voters in November.

Los Angeles Bans Sleeping in Cars
Critics of new regulations by the city of Los Angeles that ban sleeping in cars and RVs overnight say the new restrictions amount to a ban on homeless people.

SoCal's Gold Line Extension Delayed Two Years
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) planned Gold Line extension is now scheduled to finish construction in 2025.

California Transport Bill Doesn't Support Public Transit as Much as it Could
California State Senators, Ben Allen and Scott Wiener, say California transportation funding bills don't spend enough of their budget on public transit.
Pasadena Urged to Purge Poison Pills from ADU Reform Ordinance
Pasadena is adopting accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform in response to state legislation designed to spur affordable housing options by easing restrictions on ADUs. But is it really entrenchment dressed as reform?
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