Los Angeles
Lies and Confusion in Neighborhood Naming
Neighborhood naming is fraught with confusion, misunderstandings and downright deception. Take Los Angeles, for example.
A $1.5-Billion Forward Pass by L.A. City Council
Unanimous approval of the five-year outline to build a 72,000-seat football stadium in Downtown L.A. goes to show that the City Council is all game for a politically radioactive project.
Goats Clearing Brush and Luring Crowds in L.A.
Goats being used to clear brush on a hillside in downtown Los Angeles are a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to deal with overgrowth -- and they're attracting fans.
L.A. Mayor Pushes Bus-Only Lanes
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced plans to implement more bus-only lanes throughout the city.
Delighting in Urban Light
Photographer Colin Rich created this mesmerizing video of the endless urban fabric of Los Angeles at night.
Our River, Ourselves
The moribund state of the Los Angeles River reflects the zeitgeist of the city that it runs through, says The Economist. A mile wide but an inch deep, revitalization proposals are too conceptual at best and too feeble at worst.
Considering A Car-Free L.A.
New ideas are emerging to address the mobility issues faced by cities. One specific project focuses on the epicenter of congested America: Los Angeles.
The Carmageddon Effect
Carmageddon failed to live up to the hype, as Los Angelenos opted to leave their cars in the garage. As the hysteria fades, Planetizen's Tim Halbur asks: is there a real story here about good transportation planning?
One Lane, One Way, $1 Billion
The weekend closure of the 405 freeway in L.A. highlights the city's limited mobility but also the skewed way transit and transportation projects are debated.
L.A.'s Planning Director Trying to Do More with Less
Despite a budget significantly smaller than his predecessors had, Los Angeles Planning Director Michael LoGrande is hoping to bring about major changes in the way the city gets things done.
Will L.A.'s Mayor Fight Prop 13?
Increasingly seen as an ineffective tool, the property tax limiting Proposition 13 has been derided in California for decades. Now, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa looks to be willing to argue against the politically sensitive law.
Keeping Rail On Track
Rail projects throughout the U.S. are hard hit by the downturn in the economy. The agencies behind them are trying to find ways to keep the projects from falling apart.
More Lanes Means More Traffic
U. of Toronto economist Matthew Turner discusses his study that shows that building more traffic lanes attracts more traffic. Likewise, providing more transit may lure motorists out of their cars, but those motorists are replaced.
Rethinking Boosterism in the 'City of Quartz'
OF the many written works about Los Angeles, Mike Davis' "City of Quartz" stands out, according to this review by Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.
LA's Pilot Express Lanes Coming Soon
California Report previews 25 miles of new express or high occupancy toll lanes coming to LA as a pilot project paid from the competitive value pricing grant program under President Bush. The lanes currently are reserved for high occupancy vehicles
Los Angeles' Legacy of Murals is Disappearing
The legacy of Los Angeles murals has all but left the city, buried under sign ordinances, billboard policy and tagging. Tanner Blackman in the Dept. of City Planning Code Studies Section is working to free up the knot of regulation.
The Soon-to-be Glamorous and Cutting Edge LAX
The addition of the Bradley terminal and modernization projects across LAX are pushing the airport back into relevance, Dan Weikel reports for the Los Angeles Times.
Conan O'Brien's Streetscape Improvements to Proposed 'Conan O'Brien Blvd.'
In response to Chicago's recent naming of a street in honor of Oprah Winfrey, late night TV host Conan O'Brien has suggested having his own street in L.A., along with various streetscape improvements.
Busy L.A. Street to get Bus-Only Lane
The Los Angeles City Council has approved a 7.7-mile bus-only lane on one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
Designing New Parks for Los Angeles
One of the most park-poor major cities in the U.S., Los Angeles is in the midst of a slight park renaissance, with a few new major projects in the works. A new exhibition looks at the state of new parks design in L.A.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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