Alex Schmidt looks at efforts to re-'train' L.A. drivers to use the city's growing rail network. Planners are focusing on rezoning areas within a 10-minute walk from stations, but face obstacles in blending density with single-family districts.
Encouraging densification around transit stations in Los Angeles is a particularly difficult task due to the city's ubiquitous low-lying residential neighborhoods. Although residents want increased options to the automobile, and voted in overwhelming numbers to support transit investment, many homeowners aren't enthusiastic about adding taller buildings in close proximity to their single-family homes.
"Lots of people live in L.A. because they can have a single family home lifestyle in a city," says Schmidt. "Gen Giuliano is a professor of public policy at the University of Southern California. She says some people may move to preserve that lifestyle, rather than adapt to density."
"But sprawl and long commutes drive other people to dense living. Above this restaurant in the downtown Culver City neighborhood is a stylish, mixed use apartment building. It's about a half mile from an Expo Line stop, and there's a strip of shops just outside the building's front door. This is precisely what city planners hope to create more of in L.A."
"It could take a generation or more for single family home neighborhoods to transform into something like this mixed use area. But the long view is exactly what L.A. planners are taking."
FULL STORY: Rail Planners Aim To Re-'Train' L.A.'s Car Culture

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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