James Butts is committed to turning Inglewood around, with economic investment and property development now on the rise.
Working to realize his vision of the city as a business-friendly entertainment hub that will one day attract tech campuses, Mayor Butts has successfully brought major players to the table—after just three years in office and with the recession barely in hindsight. The historic Inglewood Forum venue has undergone a $100 million renovation and is now operated by Madison Square Garden. An ambitious residential development is in progress, and proposals are under consideration for a significant TOD site. Rumors suggest that an NFL team may relocate to Inglewood.
Mayor Butts discussed the significance of these projects with The Planning Report, explaining how attracting entertainment anchors and encouraging development fit into broader efforts to spur job growth and reduce crime.
Butts noted: "Right now, the City of Inglewood is exploiting its blessings, combined with something that comes along very rarely: a unified government that gets it. Business is not something to be reviled and taken advantage of, but is a necessary component of a prosperous city—meaning, prosperous for the residents."
FULL STORY: A Success Story: Inglewood Mayor James Butts
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.