The Office of Extraordinary Innovation at Los Angeles Metro is just over a year old. KPCC checks in.

Los Angeles Metro created the Office of Extraordinary Innovation in 2015, which CEO Phil Washington tasked with exploring "out-of-the-box and untried ideas." A year later, KPCC speaks to Chief Innovation Officer Joshua Schank on how the department approaches that mandate with the rest of the agency.
Starting with the basics, Schank clarifies that the "basic function" of the office is "to bring the private sector to the table on major infrastructure projects."
Public-private partnerships have gained popularity in recent years as a way for governments to deliver infrastructure and services more efficiently and with less financial risk. Schank also believes the model encourages the private sector to be more civic-minded.
He says, "It's not enough to have [transportation] technology out there and being developed. We have to find a way to integrate it with the public sector network."
FULL STORY: 8 things we learned from Metro's innovation chief

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service