Residents and city officials in L.A. battle over what to do with unused land surrounding the Silver Lake Reservoir.
"The neighborhood of Silver Lake is the only place in Los Angeles that has more cheese stores than doughnut shops. It has a reputation as a hipster haven, but in reality it's a destination for the upwardly mobile to raise children. Politically active. Informed. Opinionated. Think of it as Berkeley with a wax job."
"Even with its idiosyncrasies, Silver Lake is far from unique. Like everywhere, its political dramas are packed with passion and rife with absurdity. In an area where the majority of residents have their own yards, the firestorm has been over a roughly six-acre plot of green space, the Meadow."
"It sits at the north end of Silver Lake Reservoir and has been closed off from the public, by most accounts, for 60 years. The open-air reservoir is being decommissioned as a source of city drinking water due to tighter environmental rules."
"The question now is whether the admittedly public land surrounding the reservoir, long fenced in, should be opened to the public. Or should it be a wildlife sanctuary for birds and coyotes?"
"Open it or keep it closed?"
FULL STORY: Silver Lake's Nasty Land Feud
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
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