Christopher Hawthorne says that new Civic Park in downtown Los Angeles, which breaks ground this morning, "shows the strain" of trying to reconcile differing visions, but it also has "a coherent aesthetic identity."
Rios Clementi Hale Studios are the park's designers, and Hawthorne says they've improved recent designs, giving the park a "crisper look." But he cautions that the details of programming the park, which is ripe with possibilities like creating an outdoor space for the symphony, have yet to be fleshed out.
The great challenge, however, is the park's location, "a tricky, sloping site pockmarked with underground garages and concrete ramps."
FULL STORY: Click here to find out more! Civic pride shaping Civic Park

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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