A Rebirth For Downtown Los Angeles

Conversion of a 32-acre rail yard and a 40-acre industrial development to parkland in downtown L.A. could herald a rebirth of the city's center.

1 minute read

September 15, 2003, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"A good lawsuit can work wonders. Three years ago, a coalition of community groups sued to block an industrial warehouse project on an abandoned 32-acre rail yard called the Chinatown Cornfield near downtown Los Angeles. Four months later, a similar lawsuit was filed to block a 40-acre industrial development at another rail yard, the Taylor Yard, a mile north along the Los Angeles River. Both cases led to settlement discussions with the developers, culminating with the state of California purchasing the parcels for development as parklands."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Sunday, September 14, 2003 in The Los Angeles Times

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nilu Jenks wears a long gray coat and speaks with one man and two women outside.

Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember

Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.

45 minutes ago - Reason

People sit on wooden benches on a bus in Miami

New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks

Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade residents homeowners $2,700 in 2028.

1 hour ago - Miami New Times

Two men install solar panels on the roof of a house.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms

The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.

2 hours ago - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.