The Hollywood sign is a global icon and magnet for travelers to L.A., who seem unwilling to admire it from afar. For the residents of the neighborhoods underneath the historic sign, the hordes of tourists bring safety and quality of life concerns.
"Those who live in the upscale hillside homes of Beachwood Canyon and Hollywoodland have long grumbled about tourists making the pilgrimage up the hill, hoping for that perfect shot [of the Hollywood sign]. But in recent years, they say, the flow of visitors has grown intolerable," reports Bob Pool.
Curving hillside roads and hiking trails are besieged by tourists and tour buses, raising safety and quality of life concerns. The City of Los Angeles has tried several tactics to staunch the flow of buses and tourists into residential enclaves, apparently to no avail. The inconveniences have reached a "tipping point", writes Pool.
"We don't condemn tourism. We appreciate the tourism industry. We enjoy this beautiful part of the city and feel that everybody should," said Alex Chavez, president of the Hollywoodland Homeowners Assn. "But it's a safety issue that we're trying to solve."
Read the full story: Discontent brewing under the Hollywood sign
On Public Transit, Some of the World’s Best Sightseeing
From Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Sydney, the best—and the cheapest—views are on ferries, buses, trains, and gondolas.
How About a Gondola Ride to the Hollywood Sign?
Project backers are calling the idea the "Sky Line."
Lawsuit Closes Popular Hiking Trail to the Hollywood Sign
Closing today: one of the most popular hiking trails in the Hollywood Hills, another case of the antipathy between public access and private property.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority