The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments, a large-scale low-rise development opened in 1939, are at the center of a preservation debate. Lauren Walser gives us the case for keeping them.
Built according to Ebenezer Howard's Garden City model, the Wyvernwood development in East Los Angeles now houses a majority-Latino community. Lauren Walser writes, "Each of the 143 buildings is built around grassy garden areas, so that residents walk out their front door and into a park-like setting, rather than a busy street. The buildings, minimalist in design with low-pitched roofs, are positioned to let it plenty of sunlight and fresh air, while still giving each unit a sense of privacy."
"Since 2007, the residents of Wyvernwood have been fighting its demolition. The complex's owner, Miami-based Fifteen Group Land and Development LLC, has proposed to level Wyvernwood and replace it with a $2 billion development."
The article quotes Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy at the Los Angeles Conservancy. "'There's a housing crisis in Los Angeles, no question about that,' Fine says. 'And we need to address it. But we want to look for a win-win opportunity, where we can create some density without total destruction and loss. There's an opportunity for change, but how do you manage change in a way that doesn't call for a complete loss of community?'"
FULL STORY: The Fight to Save Wyvernwood, L.A.'s First Large-Scale Garden Apartment
Why L.A.'s Boyle Heights Matters to Anti-Gentrification Activists
The historically Latino working class neighborhood is a frequent touchstone in debates over gentrification in Los Angeles. That history goes back decades and colors residents' perceptions.
Lessons for YIMBYs From Boyle Heights
In the wake of a very pro-development March election, Los Angeles seems ready to embrace change. But not everywhere. In low-income Boyle Heights, residents have been more militant than most against encroaching gentrification.
East Los Angeles Community Groups Prove that Community Planning Matters
The landscape of community development in Los Angeles today differs vastly from even a few years ago. Two groups in East L.A. are developing solutions to accelerating gentrification and displacement and a compounding affordable housing crisis.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
