Solar Drive, deep in the Hollywood Hills, is a ritzy block of expensive homes. But over the past year, an empty mansion was overrun by squatters and partiers. Permission for the gate is temporary, but hikers are upset by blocked routes.
While there are other entrances to the park, many hikers used to park on Solar Drive because parking was easy and convenient. One regular user complained that the road was public, and should be available for use by all. The gate is approved for 18 months only, with the hope that the situation with the mansion will be resolved by then.
Reporter Kate Linthicum explains how the house ended up vacant and overrun:
"Built in the 1990s for a couple who split up during its construction, the nearly 10,000-square-foot house was abandoned for years, according to real estate agent Richard Klug.
It was used at various times as a drug den, a gang clubhouse and a place to hold raves. The evidence is in the broken windows and graffiti."
FULL STORY: L.A. council agrees to gate Hollywood Hills community
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
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.