The controversies about homelessness in what was once a beach community full of hippies and surfers has boiled over in response to a large proposed development of supportive housing on a surface parking lot owned by the city.
In June, Planetizen picked up news of an innovative new supportive housing project in Los Angeles. The project was designed by Eric Owen Moss Architects, a world renowned but locally based architecture firm, to bridge the Venice Canals and provide housing in one of the most affluent and historic parts of the city.
Fast forward to July, and Alissa Walker is reporting for Curbed about the less-than-favorable response for the project among local residents—in a neighborhood embroiled in an ongoing controversy involving City Council recalls and the county's controversial sheriff. A small group of local homeowners is planning to sue to stop the development, according to Walker, "hoping to contest the legality of a state law that allows affordable housing projects to skip environmental review."
According to Walker, opponents believe the project to be evidence of the city's plans to turn Venice into a "homeless containment zone." They would prefer a 43,000-square-foot, 600-space parking garage to be built on the lot instead.
Meanwhile, an estimated 2,000 people experiencing homelessness live on the streets of the neighborhood—the highest density homeless population outside of Skid Row adjacent to Downtown. The latest controversies about what to do about the large homeless population are detailed in the source article by Walker.
A separate article by Steven Sharp from May also provides details on the proposed project, including the latest renderings. Sharp first broke the news about the planned development in December 2018.
FULL STORY: Even a Starchitect’s Homeless Housing Project Won’t Sway Venice Beach NIMBYs
Supportive Housing Bridging Venice Canals Granted Planning Commission Approval in L.A.
The mixed-use Reese Davidson Community will include 140 housing units, commercial space, and a performance space.
Water, Affordable Housing on a Collision Course in California
Marin County, the wealthy county in the North Bay Area with a history of exclusionary land use and transportation practices, is using the shortage of water to justify blocking the development of an affordable housing project.
L.A. Planners Working to Shift Affordable Housing Distribution for More Equitable Results
Almost all the affordable housing development in L.A. in the past decade has occurred in majority-minority neighborhoods. The L.A. Department of City Planning is looking for ways to make sure high-income areas do more of their fair share.
Georgia's First Tiny Home Village Now Open, and Sold Out
Eight single-family houses on a half-acre of land.
Arizona's Tallest Building Will Soon Be Vacant
The tallest building in the Grand Canyon State will enter a new era.
It's Good to Be a Small Business in These 6 U.S. Cities
Here are six U.S. cities where small companies are thriving.
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency/City of Chattanooga
City of Willits
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Valley Vision
Jefferson County
City of Greensburg
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
