What Suburbia Teaches Us

D.J. Waldie examines the Los Angeles suburb of Lakewood as it celebrate its 50-year anniversary as a city.

1 minute read

December 22, 2004, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"In Sacramento, state Senate leaders are willing to pit environmentalists against low-income homeowners by weakening California regulations to speed new residential construction. Proposed legislation also would preempt local land-use authority and mandate greater density in existing suburban neighborhoods. Burning the suburbs or legislating away their charm in the name of some other land-use ideal is a failure of the imagination. So is labeling everything built since 1950 as "dumb growth."

The newest owners in the older suburbs are overwhelmingly immigrant people of color. Despite the gulfs of language and ethnicity, their hopes for the suburb where they live, from my experience in Lakewood, are no different from those of my parents 50 years ago. With the possible exception of hip pioneers settling the region's suddenly residential downtowns, we all live in suburbia in Los Angeles. We're all the rueful beneficiaries of half a century of sprawl."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

30 minutes ago - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

1 hour ago - Missouri Independent

Los Angeles, California

Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses

Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive