Los Angeles

An Aerial Tram Could Carry Fans to Future Dodgers Games
A coach suspended from a cable (like a big gondola or ski lift) has been proposed by private company Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies, to bring fans to Chavez Ravine in 2022.

Trying to Remake L.A. as a More Walkable City
A legacy of discriminatory planning exacerbated the low-density sprawl that's been so hard for Los Angeles to roll back.

Could Los Angeles Have Made Better Use of Former Redevelopment Funds?
After a state decision to abolish California's redevelopment agencies seven years ago, Los Angeles still received some of that money, directing it to city services instead of affordable housing.

Los Angeles: Focus on Urban Design (Not Just Urban Planning)
By embracing timeless principles of urban placemaking, we can create walkable transit villages and make room for housing at every socioeconomic level. First we have to re-invigorate high quality urban design.

California Has 8 of the 10 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.
Despite ever-stricter air-quality regulations and dropping emissions, the American Lung Association once again finds the state to have some of the worst air in the nation.

Opinion: L.A. Needs to End Land Use Policies That Block Housing Construction
Mark Vallianatos argues Los Angeles is still contending with the legacy 1920 era land use restrictions built on racist, exclusionary zoning policies, the remnants of which aren't worth saving.

How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving
Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.

Transit Ridership Should Worry Americans More
Ridership declines mean falling revenues for transit agencies, and could be the beginning of a cycle of service cuts and fare increases leading to yet more ridership declines.

Protests Push O.C. to Kill Its First Real Plan to Help the Homeless
The affluent county finally authorized a concrete plan to address a housing crisis, but forceful opposition from residents put them 'back to Square One.'

L.A. Metro’s Homeless Outreach Teams Report Back
The transit agency's year-long experiment with homeless services has placed 19 people in permanent housing and spurred hopes of expanding the program.

The Los Angeles Conservancy at 40: Looking Back and Ahead
The Los Angeles Conservancy turned 40 on March 20. As it marks four decades of preserving historic places throughout L.A. County, the organization considers the next 40 years of preservation in L.A.
Critiquing SB 827 as a 'Wall Street In My Backyard' Bill
In response to Sen. Scott Wiener's SB 827, former Los Angeles County Supervisor and former City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky provides his opinions on the unintended consequences of the bill on Southern California's landscape.

From Architecture Critic to 'Chief Design Officer'
Christopher Hawthorne, the Los Angeles Time architecture critic whose broad role at the paper included much needed focus on streets and the public realm, has announced that he will be joining the staff at City Hall.

L.A.'s Mayor Garcetti Sides With Single-Family Housing Near Transit
Politicians are taking positions on a controversial California housing bill to densify by transit. Even after amendments were accepted on March 1 in response to concerns about displacement and demolitions, the mayor of Los Angeles remains opposed.

Los Angeles Resiliency Strategy Looks Beyond 'The Big One'
Renewable energy, sea-level rise, and, of course, seismic safety are all part of the plan.

Study: L.A. County's Urban Oil Wells Are Too Close to Homes and Schools
The Department of Public Health recommends taking action to better protect residents from oil operations that are sometimes only a few feet from where people live, work, eat, play and study.

Op-Ed: Transit-Oriented Development Must Protect Tenants
It's time for planners to contend with displacement by transit investment, writes Tracy Jeanne Rosenthal.

The Need for an Equitable L.A. River Revitalization
Jon Christensen urges Los Angeles to ensure that new park amenities serve, rather than displace, the river's low-income communities.

Los Angeles Investing in a Transit-Oriented Olympics
Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, Los Angeles is rallying around infrastructure buildout and technological advancement.

L.A. Developer Caught Making Illegal Campaign Donations
Developer Samuel Leung is facing shocking counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and bribery.
Pagination
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions