Two notable large-scale projects in downtown L.A. have not broken ground on time, which many see as a sign of the end of downtown's real estate boom.
"A fickle economy, rising construction costs, and skittish buyers are just a few of the factors that have slowed the frenzied development in downtown Los Angeles to a crawl. But as two of the area's largest planned projects-Frank Gehry and the Related Companies' $3 billion Grand Avenue Project and the $1 billion Park Fifth condo towers-failed to break ground as expected during the last few months, and as several smaller projects went under, hushed conversations between architects, developers, and real estate agents persist in the shadows of half-finished skyscrapers: Is downtown's rally over?"
"'I have the feeling that this is not a good time to be building skyscrapers, in LA or anywhere,' said Peter Slatin of the real estate website TheSlatinReport.com (and AN contributor). 'It's risky to start building into a market that's starting to decline without knowing how long the decline will last.' According to the National Association of Realtors, U.S. condo sales were down by about 11 percent in 2007, while residential construction dropped by almost 17 percent. According to most projections the numbers aren't expected to improve this year."
FULL STORY: Downtown Downturn?
New Funding Resuscitates L.A.'s Grand Avenue Project
The highly anticipated mixed-use Grand Avenue project in downtown L.A. has just secured $100 million in funding. This new funding is expected to kickstart the project's construction, which has been delayed for months.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
The Future of Central Business Districts
Urbanist Richard Florida assesses post-pandemic possibilities for neighborhoods that once relied on 9-to-5 workers.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater
The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.
Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest
The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.
Is This Urbanism?
Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions