Cleanup Of Times Square A Model For Downtown LA?

Can downtown Los Angeles' problem with homelessness on skid row be solved by the same principles that changed the image of Times Square?

1 minute read

January 28, 2006, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"...[R]epresentatives from downtown Los Angeles' business, law enforcement, political and community service organizations, walked the streets of New York this week, looking for answers to the skid row riddle.

They found New York's example to be both inspiring and daunting.

...New York famously cleaned up Times Square in the 1990s. More than $1 billion has been poured into the area for shelters, housing and cleanup. Times Square saw a 68% decrease in crime between 1992 and 2005. Once a cluster of sex shows and run-down buildings, it is now a bustling city center and tourist destination. The biggest problem now facing local business owners is congestion.

Read the full story: A Polished Big Apple Gives L.A. Ideas

Saturday, January 28, 2006 in The Los Angeles Times

Community / Economic Development California

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