Kids vs Dogs in Park Design Debate

"The city of West Hollywood has spared no expense in a lavish makeover of its central park," according to Hailey Branson-Potts. "First came a chic library and rooftop tennis courts, to the tune of $61 million. Just approved is an additional $86 million in amenities, including two rooftop swimming pools, a $3-million 'grand staircase' and a landscaped rooftop 'respite deck.'"

But there's a problem with all this new public space, according to the article, which gets at the question of what kind of city West Hollywood wants to be: "Why should a city famous for its fairness have a showplace park with three children's play areas but nowhere for its dogs to run free?" asks Branson-Potts. Mayor John D'Amico, in fact, calls it a "sort of institutional fetishization of kids." He's also commented recently: "We love our children here….But … this is an adult city."

According to the article, the City Council has asked the park's designers LPA Inc. and Rios Clementi Hale Studios, to include a dog park in the $86 million of improvements approved for Phase 2 of West Hollywood Park.