Los Angeles

A homeless encampment is set up outside a transit station, next to bike share stations and a ticket dispenser.

The Deepening Transit Crisis: L.A. Times Reports Drug Use on Transit

An article by the L.A. Times earlier this week has raised the temperature of the debate about drug users and crime on rail transit. Concerns about public safety on transit are a common symptom of post-pandemic transit around the country.

March 17, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

View down a Los Angeles street with cars and tall palm trees on both sides

Study: L.A.’s Wealthier Residents ‘Export’ Air Pollution to Poorer Neighborhoods

Residents of Los Angeles who drive less are exposed to higher rates of air pollution due to policies that have encouraged commuting through low-income neighborhoods.

March 7, 2023 - USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Skid Row Los Angeles

Financial Dire Straights for L.A.’s Skid Row Housing Trust

Terrible news about the financial situation at one of L.A.’s most prominent homeless service providers broke earlier this month.

February 22, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Unhoused tents under shade canopies in downtown Los Angeles, California

Extreme Heat Responsible for Growing Death Rates Among Unhoused People

Extreme heat events like the ‘heat dome’ that baked Southern California last summer kill a disproportionate number of people experiencing homelessness, who have fewer resources to protect themselves from the scorching sun.

February 21, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

New All-Affordable Zone Proposed for L.A.’s Skid Row

A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that Skid Row’s future should learn from the mistakes of the past.

February 16, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Close-up of pedestrian crossing button at a crosswalk in Los Angeles

Tactical Urbanism Makes Strides in L.A.

A DIY urbanism group in Los Angeles has successfully prompted the city to install permanent crosswalks at dangerous intersections, despite the city’s insistence that the group’s do-it-yourself work is illegal.

February 14, 2023 - LAist

Outdoor dining patio in street in Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, surrounded by white picket fence

Proposed Outdoor Dining Ordinance Could Decimate L.A.’s ‘Al Fresco’ Dining

Restaurant owners say the new regulations proposed by the city for installing and maintaining outdoor dining areas would put them out of reach for many businesses.

February 9, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Green Line, Los Angeles

Rail Transit Plans Would Connect L.A.’s South Bay to the Regional Rail System

Two new transit extensions promise several new routes for South Bay residents to access the Los Angeles region’s transit system.

February 8, 2023 - The Source

Rendering of landscaped street with street trees and pedestrian sidewalk

South L.A. Complete Streets Project Back on Track

First proposed in 2015, the Broadway-Manchester redesign would add bike infrastructure, pedestrian improvements, trees, and other amenities.

February 7, 2023 - Urbanize LA

A tent covered in blue and black tarps sits on a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk with the white ziggurat-topped L.A. City Hall looming in the background

L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies

Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.

February 3, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green alley under construction

Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management

Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.

February 2, 2023 - Curbed

Girl swinging on rope swing overlooking Los Angeles

Outdoor Destinations for the Carless in Los Angeles

Learn about eight L.A. parks that you can reach from Union Station without a car.

January 23, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

A California Gull walks along the shore, searching for food while surrounded by a swarm of bugs.

L.A.’s Water Diversions Threaten Critical Habitat Far to the North

Water levels at Mono Lake, nestled in a stunningly beautiful location on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas that provides the eastern gateway to Yosemite, have fallen to a critical level of a local population of nesting gulls.

January 16, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Oil Pump in Los Angeles

Lawsuit Challenges L.A. Oil Drilling Ban

Oil companies with operations in the city of Los Angeles are suing over an ordinance that seeks to phase out drilling within city limits due to public health and environmental concerns.

January 12, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, California

City Council Controversy Threatens L.A.’s Proposed Downtown Plan

A Los Angeles Times editorial explains how political intrigue is spilling over into planning frustration in the city of Los Angeles.

January 11, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

View of Los Angeles skyline on sunny day with palm trees in foreground

Opinion: Los Angeles Needs More Housing, Fast

The shortage of housing at all price points in the region is the main driver of high costs and the growing homelessness crisis.

January 4, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

6th Street Viaduct against the Los Angeles skyline at dusk

L.A. Planning Department Adjusts to State Housing Laws

Los Angeles Director of Planning Vince Bertoni was recently interviewed the effects of new state planning and housing laws in the state’s most populous city.

January 3, 2023 - The Planning Report

Two people holding sign that says "house keys not handcuffs" during an anti-homelessness event in Los Angeles, California

The Complexity of Homelessness in Los Angeles County

The homeless crisis is complicated and is associated with high housing costs, inadequate shelter spaces, deinstitutionalization, changes in the criminal justice system, and other factors.

December 29, 2022 - KCET

Los Angeles Residential Street

Lawsuit Filed to Halt L.A.’s Mansion Tax

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is among the groups suing to block the city of Los Angeles’ voter-approved ‘mansion tax.’

December 29, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Rattlesnakes

L.A. ‘Wildlife Ordinance’ to Protect Biodiversity With Zoning Changes

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission recently approved a new Wildlife Ordinance. The City Council will make the final decision about the ordinance’s approval.

December 22, 2022 - Los Angeles Department of City Planning

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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