Los Angeles

The Most Musical Cities in North America

This chart from the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto looks at North America's musical epicenters -- cities where the most music is produced.

November 17, 2009 - Creative Class Exchange

Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.

An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.

November 17, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

The Green Stadium That Isn't

A critical look at the football stadium proposed for outside Los Angeles, called "green" architecture, but it seems the costs will far outweigh its benefits.

November 11, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Cycling Safety for All

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Kaiser Permanente are teaming up to offer safety training, bike helmets, and lights to day laborers.

November 11, 2009 - Daily News Los Angeles

Car-Free Sundays Coming to L.A.?

A group of cyclists in Los Angeles is hoping to move forward in talks with the city to establish car-free days, based on the ciclovia street closures originated in Colombia.

November 5, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Sneak Peek of LA's Gold Line Extension

On their official blog, Metro gives a preview of the new rail extension which will extend the line to East L.A. Steve Hymon and Fred Dennstedt share their notes.

October 29, 2009 - The Source (Metro's blog)

Cleaning Up Trucking in Southern California

The Port of Long Beach has settled with the American Trucking Association to clean up its air, while the Port of Los Angeles is waiting to reach more comprehensive changes.

October 23, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Study Shows Shelter Reduces Costs

A four-year study by United Way of Greater Los Angeles has shown that stable housing provides benefits to taxpayers as well as the homeless.

October 14, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

First Fast Food, Now South L.A. Looks to Ban Convenience Stores

Community activists are calling for a ban on new convenience stores in South Los Angeles, a lower income part of town that saw a ban on new fast food restaurants last year.

October 13, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Fast Food Ban Doesn't Trim the Fat

A ban on new fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles which was put in place last year has been found to play little role in reducing obesity in the area, according to a new report from the Rand Corporation.

October 10, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Safety and Gender in Los Angeles

Enci Box's personal account of how gender, safety, and living car-free intersect in her daily transportation decisions.

October 9, 2009 - LA Streetsblog

Modern Architecture Now Officially 'Old'

Passing the 50-year threshold means that buildings can be considered for historic preservation. Starting in 2010, that means the architecture of the 1960s is coming up for consideration. The Los Angeles Conservancy is gearing up with a new website.

October 5, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Anti-Graffiti Coating To Be Required on L.A. Buildings

The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a measure that will require an anti-graffiti coating on all new buildings in the city.

October 4, 2009 - NBC

Traversing LA One Bus At A Time

A Wall St. Journal reporter takes a five-day sightseeing trip to Los Angeles, sans rental car. Getting the Getty Villa and Watts Towers were two of the more challenging forays.

October 1, 2009 - Wall St Journal

Creating Neighborhood Capital from Strip Malls

Strip malls are in virtually every American city, but they're rarely an important part of those cities. Ava Bromberg says they can be. Her idea is to turn strip malls into community-owned hubs that generate capital within their neighborhood and keep it there.

October 1, 2009 - Nate Berg

L.A. Supergraphics Ban Upheld

A federal judge has allowed a citywide ban on new digital billboards and building-sized supergraphics to continue.

September 30, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Drought Policy and Flooding Streets in LA

While residents ration water for lawn-watering, Los Angeles has experienced double the breaks in water mains as in previous years. The breaks have destroyed streets and flooded businesses, leaving many looking for answers.

September 29, 2009 - The New York Times

Metrolink Deaths Could Be Avoided, Says LA Times

244 people have died in Metrolink accidents over the last 15 years. A study by the Los Angeles Times says that that number could be greatly diminished by improving a handful of dangerous intersections.

September 28, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Ads Cleaned Into Streets: 'Reverse Grafitti'?

Planetizen's Nate Berg reports on advertisers in Los Angeles using steam cleaners to put corporate logos into the grimy sidewalk. Advertisers claim, "If anything, we've improved public property. We've cleaned up streets that were normally filthy."

September 19, 2009 - LA Weekly

What Today's Cities Will Look Like in the Future

Imagining cities of the future can bring about some pretty wild predictions. But when they're visions of existing cities, these futuristic predictions can be almost realistic.

September 19, 2009 - io9

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.