Finding L.A.'s Next Planning Director

The Los Angeles Times outlines the challenges that will be faced by a new Planning Director, and provides a brief history of planning in the city.

1 minute read

May 16, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The search for a planning director "has prompted repeated calls for a director who will be the urban planning equivalent of Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton, outspoken and strong enough to stand up to a developer or neighborhood activist unwilling to do what's best for the city.

...One irony of Los Angeles is that its original mass-transit system contributed to its sprawl. By the 1920s, L.A. was at the center of a 1,100-mile-plus network of trolley lines that allowed area residents to travel as far as Orange County."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Sunday, May 15, 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.

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