Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Great Streets" plan is long on vision, but short on budget details. Terry Sweeney identifies some wealthy locals who should be called on for help.
"A great neighborhood needs a great street as its backbone -- that's the premise of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's recently unveiled Great Streets initiative... The mayor wants to see streets being planned with these qualities in mind: walkability, transit, and their ability to serve as community hubs. That's a significant shift from past planning and design practices in the city," writes Terry Sweeney.
"Exactly who's going to pay for these great streets is the glaring omission in Garcetti's plan. No one's talking about raising taxes or floating a bond initiative in the next city election. So where's the money going to come from? Here's a shortlist of eight LA fat cats whose business, philanthropic, and/or personal interests are directly tied to the City of Fallen Angels and have personal fortunes to help foster Mayor Garcetti's grand plan."
FULL STORY: 8 Fat Cats Who Can Fund LA's 'Great Streets' Initiative
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie