Susan Straight's new novel draws on her experiences of growing downtown LA and its surroundings to create an image of a neighborhood 'reeking of cheap liquor and hurt.'
She describes how the Golden Gopher, a small dive bar on 8th street turned hipster hangout is able to 'capture all the weirdness of the city.' Although the bar itself has since been fully re upholstered and its dingy past turned into a motif, the surrounding block remains occupied by low rent hotels and an unchanged cowboy bar named El Gaucho.
Hector Tobar compares Straight to Raymond Chandler and John Fante for her ability to accurately depict the soul of the city through hidden lives of the LA basin's residents. He suggests you "enter into that imaginary L.A., and afterward you too may notice a little more as you wander through the real one. Perhaps you'll pause at a doorway or two and wonder about the tales that lie within."
FULL STORY: Where Hopes and Desperation Collide
Demise of Entertainment Industry Mirrors Demise of Housing in LA
Making movies has a lot in common with developing real estate: producers = developers; screenwriters = architects; directors = general contractors. The similarities are more than trivial. Both industries are now hurting in L.A.
Downtown Los Angeles Gears Up for Growth
A new report highlights Downtown L.A.’s ongoing revival through major housing projects, adaptive reuse, hospitality growth, and preparations for global events in the years ahead.
LA County Creating Action Plan to Tackle Extreme Heat
Los Angeles County is creating a Heat Action Plan to help communities stay safe during extreme heat, with steps like adding more shade, improving buildings, and supporting the neighborhoods most at risk.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
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