Los Angeles' Unique Plan To Dull The Roar Of Jets

City officials have agreed to soundproof schools and cut pollution as LAX prepares for an $11 billion expansion.

1 minute read

December 21, 2004, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Now the nearby Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is poised to begin an $11 billion expansion. Instead of a flood of environmental lawsuits that traditionally halt urban expansion projects, the community took a different tack from the outset. As a result, the city has committed $500 million to soundproof schools, upgrade polluting airport vehicles, and study how the expansion will impact the quality of life.

...Following a trend begun here in 1998 known as community benefit agreements - a way for developers and community organizations to ensure that local residents share in benefits from major developments - modernizing LAX is the first-ever agreed upon project with a public entity, in this case, Los Angeles World Airports."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Tuesday, December 21, 2004 in The Christian Science Monitor

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