With victories in Beverly Hills, and a notable defeat in nearby Palos Verdes Estates, Alexei Barrionuevo tracks historic preservation's shifting place in Los Angeles.
Despite the many successes of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the largest local preservation group in the country, and the on-going revitalization of many of downtown LA's historic treasures, the region continues to threaten and demolish its historic buildings at an alarming rate.
While Beverly Hills recently passed the first historical preservation ordinance in its 98-year history, "Over a third of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County have no local
ordinance protecting significant historic or architectural structures,
said Linda Dishman, the executive director of the Los Angeles
Conservancy."
Barrionuevo chronicles the sagas behind the last-minute preservation of Richard Neutra's Kronish House, and the recent demolition of a spectacular wing-shaped home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr.
FULL STORY: In Beverly Hills, Preservation Gains a Toehold
Beverly Hills Moves to Protect Some of Its Most Famous Residents
After the destruction of some of its most significant architectural and cultural treasures, the City of Beverly Hills has finally adopted a historic preservation ordinance.
Low Car Traffic Enables Accelerated Subway Construction in Southern California
The city of Beverly Hills, long an opponent of the project, is now taking advantage of a lack of car traffic to drastically speed up construction on the Purple Line subway extension.
How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving
Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.
Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.
Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont