The city of Santa Monica increased in population by 6,500 between 1960 and 2010, while the rest of Los Angeles County grew by 60 percent over the same period. A debate over a new downtown plan that includes more housing was never going to be simple.
Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times, provides coverage of the city of Santa Monica's ongoing Downtown Community Plan process, and the "gulf" between two entrenched camps regarding the politics of growth, housing, and development.
On one side there's "the slow-growth or even no-growth faction," and on the other there's the "pro-growth and pro-housing advocates." Hawthorne cites Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole to describe how the political debate in the desirable coastal city played out in the defeat of slow growth measure LV on the November 2016 citywide ballot and in the debate leading up to the DCP's final steps. "The philosophical differences between the two camps have been thrown into sharp relief," writes Hawthorne.
But according to Cole, something surprising happened as the DCP wound its way through the approval process, first at the planning commission and then in front of the full city council. Santa Monica, he argues, managed to build a bridge across the yawning growth gap.
Hawthorne also gives Cole a chance to speak on some of the progressive land use regulation practices included in the proposed plan, including, for example, the elimination of parking minimums and approvals for three big projects already in the pipeline. Hawthorne also provides his critiques of the plan, including its decision to lower the height limits along the northern edge of downtown and its reliance on a 30 percent affordable housing requirements, which some pro-development advocates say "will give developers an incentive to steer clear of housing altogether in downtown Santa Monica."
In the end, however, Hawthorne writes this column as a critique of Cole's pitch for a "grand bargain," or a balanced approach to the construction of new housing.
It was surprising, then, to see an article by Jason Islas for Santa Monica Next, published the day before the city council's vote on the DCP, citing an email from Cole asking the council to "assess how 1000-1500 new units of market rate and affordable units being constructed in our Downtown in the next couple of years (unaffected by the DCP) will be viewed by the various community stakeholders." Islas is obviously skeptical about the plan's ability to live up to its billing as a grand bargain: "The Downtown Community Plan, based on Cole’s email, seems to be a recapitulation of the policies that have turned Santa Monica into a city increasingly inaccessible to only wealthy people or the few lower-income people who get into the scarce affordable units that get built each year."
The debate over housing and growth, for now, is over, as the city approved the plan, according to a Tweet sent by Rick Cole last night.
Downtown Community Plan unanimously approved by City Council.@santamonicacity@DTSantaMonica@StreetsblogLA@HawthorneLAT@CurbedLA pic.twitter.com/UxzF1cPiB4
— Rick Cole (@SaMoCole) July 26, 2017
FULL STORY: Santa Monica's 'grand bargain' on growth and housing: A model for other cities?
Santa Monica Proposing Balanced Approach With Downtown Plan
After residents soundly defeated the anti-growth Measure LV in November, city officials are still trying to propose a plan that addresses the traffic and livability concerns that led to the initiative being placed on the ballot.
Bay Area City Could Extend Development Restrictions Beyond Their Expiration Date
A signature-gathering campaign has expressed a desire to extend height and density limits in San Mateo.
Santa Monica Mayor: High Inclusionary Housing is Worth the Risk
Mayor Ted Winterer and Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis elaborate on the city’s new Downtown Community Plan, which includes what may be the state's highest inclusionary housing requirement.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)