A report on the city's vast experiment with neighborhood councils shows mixed results, and how messy democracy can be.
The heartache in Van Nuys and the cheerful efficiency of Mid-Wilshire are all part of the city's massive, groundbreaking effort to empower Los Angeles communities and quell their secessionist impulses by creating 100 neighborhood councils, one for every corner of this vast, disparate metropolis... The push for the panels began a decade ago but picked up steam in the face of breakaway movements in the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere. Civic leaders pinned their hopes on the councils as a way to knit the city back together. Though many cities across the country have some kind of system of neighborhood panels, none has ever tried to create them so quickly or give them so much money, officials say. More than 3 million of the city's 3.8 million residents are now represented by councils.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Neighborhood Councils Flexing Their Power

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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