Veteran Architect Jan Van Tilburg Evaluates Los Angeles

"Well-constructed design guidelines are very helpful to practitioners like myself to lay out a pattern for the project. The rules should be simple: no parking allowed on the street-put it on the back of the lot; windows and entrances to buildings should be on the street."

"My dream was to create an urban housing firm. I went through the suburbs to do the work there-as we all did and had to do. But when I had the opportunity, I always wanted the urban work. And on my own, as a small-time developer developing small projects, I have done that. In Santa Monica I built four buildings, and I am very proud of them. Now, I am finding that many other firms would like to pursue my dream of doing urban housing at mid-rise and high-rise level. Our firm is still expanding. We purchased a building in Santa Monica. There are five partners in our firm; it is a multiple-principal firm. It's not just my work anymore, because Navy Banvard and Gustaf Soderbergh are taking stronger positions in the firm."

"From extensive traveling and my personal experience, I am comfortable saying that L.A.'s townhouses, flats, open space location-just quality of life- are at the forefront. Now our cities and communities just have to stay at it-continue to work at it."

Thanks to Josh Stephens