Is a Denser Future Best for Los Angeles?

Inspired by the controversial new Community Plan for Hollywood, The New York Times has invited six debaters to its opinion pages to offer their views on whether Los Angeles should "New Yorkify".

2 minute read

April 6, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The debaters include authors, educators, bloggers, directors, and Bill Fulton (who has held seemingly every title in the planning profession).

First to Fulton, currently vice-president of Smart Growth America, who claims that the New Yorkification of LA is already happening, and will continue to, in areas well served by transit. And yes, he comforts, New Yorkers will still find plenty to complain about when comparing LA to the Big Apple, despite its increasing urbanization.

Cori Clark Nelson, blogger at Los Angeles I'm Yours, doesn't decry the concept of densification, but asks if there is a demand for it, and calls for improving mass transit as a more pressing priority.

Eric Avila, professor at UCLA, calls for new policies and priorities, to replace the unsustainable patterns of sprawl that gave rise to the city.

Perhaps it's best to leave the last word to Adrian Glick Kudler, senior editor of Curbed LA, who has one of the most reasonable arguments we've read in a while:

"The Hollywood Community Plan is not particularly groundbreaking. It doesn't touch parking requirements, it lowers height limits in a lot of places, and it really just tweaks floor area ratios (which dictate how big buildings can be relative to their lots). What it does is make sure that big buildings rise near transit stations, notes that historic buildings should be properly looked out for, and encourages pedestrian-friendly street improvements and new park development. It treats Hollywood like the urban center it's been for a long, long time, and it tries to make it a nice-looking, working urban center, for all the Angelenos who might want to live in that kind of place."

Friday, April 6, 2012 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA