Los Angeles
Easing Regulations for Adaptive Reuse
Cities with ordinances aimed at making commercial-to-residential conversions easier are reaping the benefits.
Downtown Los Angeles Park Wins National Award
Vista Hermosa Natural Park, designed by the landscape architecture firm Studio-MLA, has won the ASLA 2023 Landmark Award. Completed in 2008, Vista Hermosa was the first public park built in downtown L.A. in over 100 years.
First Look: Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan Adopted in L.A.
The Los Angeles City Council approved environmental review documents for the long-awaited Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan, clearing the way to remake a defunct reservoir into active green and park space.
Community Engagement at L.A. County Parks
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting over 60 public meetings in September to connect with the public and gather input to inform decision-making and resource allocation.
New Active Transportation Plan for Los Angeles County Announced
The new Active Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP), announced recently by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will be both aspirational and expensive.
Pershing Square, Downtown L.A.’s ‘Forgotten Park,’ Begins Long Awaited Revamp
A makeover that began in 2015 is finally underway in 2023, but the process of reconstructing Pershing Square is expected to proceed incrementally.
HUD Approves L.A. Housing Voucher Changes
The city requested changes to federal housing voucher approvals to streamline the approval process for people experiencing homelessness.
Berkeley Noise Pollution Precedent Blocks Los Angeles Housing
Opponents to a new university housing project cited a recent Berkeley case in which noise pollution was successfully used to deny an exemption from environmental review.
Los Angeles Wants to Transfer Public Land to Marginalized Groups
A systematic reparations plan has begun in the city of Los Angeles, though it’s still too early to tell about the scale and impact of the plan.
How One L.A. Developer Uses the Law to Build Apartments
California’s density bonus law lets developers skirt some zoning regulations to build multifamily housing.
New Park Breaks Ground Under L.A.’s Sixth Street Viaduct
The park will connect to the Los Angeles River bike path and transit projects coming to the area.
The ‘Necessity of Oil and Gas Drilling’
The California Supreme Court on Aug. 3 unanimously overturned a successful 2016 Monterey County ballot measure that banned new oil and gas drilling. According to plaintiff Chevron USA, the justices recognized the ‘necessity of oil and gas drilling.’
Another L.A. Gentrification Story
New art galleries are moving into a neighborhood recently dubbed ‘Melrose Hill,’ prompting both derision and concern on the part of local residents.
Popular L.A. Bus Line to Replace Schedule With ‘Headway-Based Operations’
Los Angeles’ 16 bus, which cuts across the city on Third Street through some of the city’s densest neighborhoods, will experiment with a new approach to service design.
L.A. Freeway Expansion to Move Ahead, Sans Displacement
The 605 freeway expansion project was expected to demolish hundreds of homes and multifamily buildings.
New Bus Priority Lane Under Construction in Los Angeles
La Brea Avenue will soon gain a new bus priority lane, with plans for more to come still gathering community feedback.
L.A. Law Exempts Affordable Housing From Time-Consuming Review Process
Affordable housing and other qualifying projects will no longer be subject to Site Plan Review under a law signed by the city’s mayor last week.
L.A. Metro Launches Fare Capping Program
Transit fares will be capped at $5 per day for all riders who pay with TAP cards, whether or not they have weekly or monthly passes.
L.A. Approves ‘Park Block’ Program
Inspired by Barcelona’s superblocks, the program aims to limit car traffic in small areas to improve safety and create new park spaces.
Group Urges L.A. to Build Housing on Vacant Lots
A survey of city-owned vacant lots identifies properties that could be developed into affordable housing or shelter.
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
