After decades spent redeveloping Hollywood's starring attractions along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, its alleyways are the focus of an on-going beautification effort, reports Jessica Gelt.
The opening last month of EaCa Alley (for East Cahuenga) signifies the commencement of a new program poised to remake Hollywood's 26 alleys as dining, shopping, and cultural destinations.
Growing out of the master's thesis of planning student Sarah MacPherson, who had been at the Business Improvement District for 13 years, and backed by such prominent local officials as City Councilman Eric Garcetti, "the passage between Selma and Hollywood Boulevard has been paved with attractive red bricks; 13 trash bins have been eliminated; and the businesses lining the east side of Cahuenga have begun placing tables and chairs in the alley, although a few permits are still needed before the bulk of businesses can serve food and alcohol outdoors," reports Gelt
As major redevelopment projects such as a proposed new downtown football stadium and convention facility continue to dominate local real estate headlines, the alley project resonates with a series of small-scale interventions that the city is spearheading to incrementally improve pedestrian environments throughout the area.
However, with EaCA Alley's $800,000 cost having been supplied primarily by the City of LA's now-defunct Community Redevelopment Agency, the prospects for future renovations are in doubt.
FULL STORY: Seedy Hollywood alleyway becomes a welcoming pedestrian thoroughfare
Los Angeles Finalizing Three Long-Awaited Community Plan Updates
Los Angeles is poised to approve a trio of long-planned zoning code updates—for the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, Downtown, and Hollywood—as the first test cases for a new citywide zoning code update known as re:code LA.
New Hollywood Community Plan Draft Released
One of the most controversial community planning documents in Los Angeles history was approved by the city in 2012 and thrown out by a judge in 2013. The new draft environmental impact report for the plan is now publicly available.
L.A.'s Anti-Density Advocate Still Hopes to Make Planners 'Uncomfortable'
One of the main forces behind Measure S spills her thoughts on Hollywood, homelessness and what’s wrong with planning in Los Angeles.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
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.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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