Independent Music Venues Face a Tough Road Ahead

Where have all the venues gone?

2 minute read

May 14, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


West Hollywood, California

The Photo Access / Shutterstock

The example of the Troubadour, an independently owned music venue in West Hollywood that birthed acts like Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and Elton John into the mainstream, shows how difficult the pandemic has been for the live music industry.

Randall Roberts reports on the challenges facing the owners of the Troubadour, which has been located on Santa Monica Boulevard on the edge of West Hollywood's border with Beverly Hills for 60 years. Christine Karayan, the club’s general manager tells Roberts that the club recently launched a GoFundMe to help the club bridge the gap to a potential reopening in stage four of the state of California's reopening plan

“That means the middle to the end of next year to potentially open, and maybe a 25% cap” on crowd size, Karayan says. “I can’t foresee being able to ride this out like that.”

Music venues like the Troubadour are some of the most appealing amenities of urban living. Questions about whether cities will lose residents during and after the pandemic must take into account the survival of cultural institutions like these, while also considering that cultural institutions were already under threat in many large cities due to rising commercial rents and a growing population of residential neighbors less inclined to see the value of a place to hear music played loud.

For an example of local government relief for music venues, look to Toronto, where the city is considering a reduction of commercial property taxes for music venues.


Tuesday, May 5, 2020 in Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

Aerial view of farmers' market with white booths in downtown Boise, Idaho

Planners Look to ‘Activity Centers’ for Sustainable Development

Existing hubs of ‘hyperlocal’ economic activity provide a model for urban density.

March 23 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of person sitting on electric bike

Federal E-Bike Rebate Bill Reintroduced

The bill, part of an effort to encourage active transportation for short trips and take cars off U.S. roads, would cover 30 percent of the cost of an electric bike.

March 23 - Congressman Jimmy Panetta

High Point, Seattle

Green Infrastructure Toolkit Launches on World Water Day

The Green Infrastructure Toolkit lists 25 actions local governments can take to transform crusty, impermeable urban landscapes into vibrant, spongy ecosystems that preserve water as a resource and protect against its potential destruction in floods.

March 23 - PlaceShakers and NewsMakers

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.