Land use critic Jill Stewart compares Los Angeles' Playa Vista development to the disasterous Belmont school development site.
New Times LA critic Jill Stewart calls the Playa Vista development in Los Angeles Belmont II: "It is an apt name for the problem-plagued nightmare on the Westside dubbed Playa Vista by the Wall Street investors and Beverly Hills billionaires who own the 1,070 acres of land more properly known as the Ballona Valley ... If granted the final go-ahead by the city council, it will be the largest construction project in the United States. More importantly, it will be the only plan I can find in current literature to erect a large, habitable community atop a thick plain of unstable ancient river silt, bisected by a just-discovered earthquake fault that cuts through layers of porous soil and gravel filled with just-discovered explosive methane gas apparently seeping from a deep, underground, abandoned oil field."
Thanks to Laura Krafft
FULL STORY: Belmont II
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.
Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.
Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie