The Hollywood Park horseracing track in Inglewood, California, follows the path of racetracks in Sam Mateo and Queens that have recently given way to large housing developments.
"At the end of December an era came quietly to an end in Los Angeles. Inglewood’s Hollywood Park, once one of the premier racetracks in the United States—it hosted famous horses like Seabiscuit and Seattle Slew—held its last race, closing its doors after more than 70 years in operation," writes Sam Lubell.
What will replace Hollywood Park has one foot in the future and one foot in the past. Developer Wilson Meany has broken ground on a massive new development called Hollywood Park Tomorrow.
So far at least, the development seems to moving forward with an eye toward a more urban, sustainable arrangement than the subdivisions that dominated the development landscape through much of the 20th century in Los Angeles County. "The heart of the new community will be housing, with 525 mixed-use residential units, 675 single-family homes, 1,500 townhomes, and 1,500 condominiums organized around curving, tree-lined streets. Design guidelines will likely call for modern homes and outdoor elements like roof gardens and terraces, a welcome change for this type of development. 6,000 new trees will be planted for the undertaking, in addition to some saved from the old racetrack. The development will also include a retail center, offices, a hotel, and a small casino."
Local landscape firm Mia Lehrer + Associates, creators of the development's master plan, is said to be "pushing" the development team on issues of sustainability and walkability. Lehrer herself is quoted in the story: "We’re testing the limits…The importance they’re placing on the public realm is very valuable."
FULL STORY: Hollywood Ending

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.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie