Curbed
Urbanism Editor at Curbed; former Urbanism Editor for Gizmodo; design writer for publications like Fast Company, Dwell, Wired, Details, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times; co-founder of design east of La Brea, an organization that produces design events in Los Angeles; design journalist for DnA: Design and Architecture
Could the fourth border be a ferry route? Communities along the Southern California coast generally do not use the sea as a transportation route. Why not? And might that change? DnA explores whether it could be possible for beach cities to be connected by ferry services. We go to the end of the Santa Monica Pier with Curbed editor Alissa Walker to observe the remains of the breakwater that once created a safe harbor for yachts, fishing vessels,and gambling ships in the Santa Monica Bay. And we ask the city’s mobility manager Francie Stefan if sea transit might ever be restored. CAPTION: Alissa Walker at the Santa Monica Pier, with the former breakwater in the background. Photo credit: Frances Anderton. We learn from Captain Dan Salas what the challenges, and opportunities, are for running a ferry service today. First and foremost, you “need a safe port for passengers,” he says, explaining how most of the Southland’s beach cities sit on open sea. Add to that powerful headwinds and high swells, then you have to guarantee the passengers, making sure “you are 70 to 80 percent full in order to cover your fuel, your insurance, the cost of the vessel, the maintenance and the inspections and the upkeep, because they’re all regulated by the federal government and the United States Coast Guard,” Salas says, adding that running a ferry boat is “almost like running a large aircraft.” Dan Salas, founder of Harbor Breeze Cruises. Photo credit: Frances Anderton. But he believes it is feasible nonetheless, adding that the first test might come with the possible arrival of SpaceX at Terminal Island, between San Pedro and Long Beach. Salas is considering offering an electric-motorized ferry service for workers who would have to park on the San Pedro side of the harbor. We learn the topic has been discussed in the City of Hermosa Beach. A ferry service has been floated as a possible application of tidelands funds earned from the cable landing sites. If ferry service could serve as a welcome connection for stressed-out Westside commuters, it might be essential in the future. Francie Stefan explains that as ocean levels rise, and tidal events might block PCH, we are going to have to figure out ways both “to enjoy the coast and to get up and down the coast… But I also think by introducing water based transportation we can actually start to break down some of that fourth border.” Bridges and Walls is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. And special thanks to NPR’s Story Lab. Follow this series at KCRW.com/BridgesandWalls
Would getting rid of sidewalks be better for pedestrians? LA has the largest sidewalk network in the country and it’s in bad shape. The bad sidewalks may be a result of lack of investment in the walkways, less than one percent of all its transportation funds.
Silver Lake Reservoir gets filled, but not everyone is celebrating In the last couple of years, the Silver Lake Reservoir was a large, empty concrete hole. But as record snowpack levels in the Sierra are starting to melt, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is turning on the valves to start refilling the reservoir ahead of schedule.
Pokémon GO and Rethinking Cities What does Pokémon GO tell us about tech's role in the city of tomorrow? The digital treasure hunt game app has become a global phenomenon, and some city watchers say it has had an unintended consequence: people are suddenly engaging with their urban surroundings in a new way. Alissa Walker, Urbanism Editor at Curbed, talks to DnA about what this app could mean for urban culture and the future of city-building. And we preview a conversation with British designer Tom Dixon, who has just opened a showroom in Platform at Culver City's Expo Line station.
Riding the Expo Line The last time Los Angeles residents were able to take a train to the beach, it was the Red Car in 1953. But on May 20, Angelenos will be able to board an Expo Line train in downtown LA and take it to downtown Santa Monica, just blocks from the pier. The extension was delayed for decades over safety, environmental and funding concerns. But now Metro, the train's operator, is hailing this and other subway extensions as a "transit renaissance" for the region. Is LA moving toward a less car-dependent future? LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, train operator William Smith, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti Photo: Rob LaFond
Should LA Host the Olympics? Boston dropped its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games yesterday after public support for the bid evaporated. Now, Los Angeles could become the designated American bidder. L.A. hosted the Summer games in 1932 and in 1984—and both times, the city made money. But not everyone is so sure that will happen again.
When Hollywood Sign NIMBYs Advertise on Airbnb Today, the fight over access to the Hollywood Sign is ongoing. In the latest twist, homeowners in the Hollywood Hills are suing the city to close all public access to the sign. But some of those same homeowners are advertising their proximity to the sign to attract Airbnb renters. Can they have it both ways?
Almonds Almonds are an $11 billion business in California, but they’ve come under scrutiny for being water intensive to grow. They’ve become like the Hummer during times of high gas prices: a symbol of waste or extravagance that might not make sense during drought conditions. But have almonds been unfairly-maligned? Is the fault not in almonds, but ourselves, or rather, other water issues?
Muji Comes to Hollywood Alissa Walker sets off to find out why Muji opened in Hollywood, L.A.'s tacky capital. She even meets the president of Muji USA; pulling out his Tap card, he reveals that he is thinking ahead to the emerging LA of high density and public transit.
LA Designer: Bari Ziperstein Ceramicist Bari Ziperstein talks to Alissa Walker about the design lessons she learned from cookie jars and other objects.
LA Designer: Jennifer Parry Dodge In early June KCRW DJ (Design Journalist) Alissa Walker attended CAMP, a business conference for creatives held at a summer camp in Big Bear, California. Alissa met Jennifer at her at her studio in Highland Park – layered with the bright colors and psychedelic textures of both completed pieces and works-in-progress – and talked to her about what inspires her, her detour into nursing, and the “wabi sabi” effects of using natural indigo dye, made from a plant that produces those brilliant blues, cochineal, a dye made from insects who feast on prickly pear fruits, resulting in a dazzling pink color.
LA Designer: Scout Regalia 0 0 1 104 594 UCLA 4 1 697 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria;} Makoto Mizutani and Benjamin Luddy are the two halves of Scout Regalia , a young design firm that is building itself a reputation for hardy, locally crafted furniture and products that support an outside life. Alissa Walker met the duo in their Echo Park studio and home, furnished with some of their products: a powder coated steel and white oak hardwood junior ranger stool, a teepee with one of their picnic tables underneath, and a brightly colored bike; and a DIY garden box, where they make the brackets and give buyers instructions on how to complete. Alissa learned about transitioning from buildings to products and back again, and what it means to be working and living together, 24/7.
CalArts Students Face Debt Design entrepreneurs are part of the engine of LA economy – and fuel its reputation for innovation. But what happens when young designers who hope to start their own companies face the problem most graduates are facing nationwide: Huge debt. Alissa Walker talked to Armando Martinez-Celis, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, Bijan Berahimi, Tom Kracauer, Amanda Gartman and David Davis, and found that although student debt is real, it doesn't always cramp young aspiring designers' style.
LA Designer: Brendan Ravenhill In our ongoing coverage of LA designers DJ – design journalist – Alissa Walker went to visit Brendan Ravenhill in his Schindler House come studio in Echo Park, where he is getting ready to head to New York for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
Shopping Locally for LA-Made Goods The design enthusiasts Marissa Gluck, Alissa Walker, Haily Zaki and Erin Cullerton together run de LaB , aka Design East of La Brea—a part-party, part-culture club that introduces Angelenos to LA contemporary design. Last week Frances caught up with them at their last event of 2011, a tour of LACMA's California Design: Living in a Modern Way 1930-1965 exhibition. Since their events have taken them all over the city for sneak peeks of products made by the region's designers, the four ladies each gave their picks for the best made-in-LA designs of the year. If you're still looking for presents this year, their selections would each make a perfect locally produced design-centric gift. The Dustbin by Brendan Ravenhill : This ingenious trash can not only keeps a dustpan and brush at-the-ready, all of its parts were manufactured in Los Angeles by companies ranging from a 60-year-old metal stamper to a brush maker who produces parts for the Mars Rovers. $220 at BrendanRavenhill.com California Design: Living in a Modern Way 1930-1965 designed by Michael Hodgson and Ph.D : The gorgeous catalogue for the definitive exhibition on California design includes hundreds of objects produced in the state during the midcentury modern movement. $60 at the LACMA Shop Rodarte by Laura and Kate Mulleavy, Catherine Opie and Alec Soth : This art-fashion photo book is a collaboration between the Mulleavy sisters, renowned Pasadena fashion designers, and photographers Opie and Soth. It features the Rodarte clothes against the California landscapes which inspired them. $80 at Hennessey + Ingalls toHOLD designed by Kara Bartelt : Part modern art, part terrarium, Bartelt's delicate pieces use succulents and airplants to create beautiful living sculptures that look right at home on a desk, a coffee table, even as a unique necklace. Starting at $8.50 at Etsy and other LA locations Design your own present at KnowHow Shop LA : Visit this Highland Park workshop with your own gift ideas and their skilled proprietors will help you navigate their fabrication wonderland filled with laser etchers and CNC milling machines to bring your creation to life. Contact for prices Geoff McFetridge's collection at Heath Ceramics : The Los Angeles designer and illustrator dabbles in clay for the first time with a limited-editon line of custom-painted dinnerware and accessories covered in McFetridge's signature doodles. Various prices at Heath Ceramics , 7525 Beverly Boulevard Top image: Kara Bartelt's toHOLD piece features an airplant inside a pink sea urchin
Walking Real-Life West Hollywood This Saturday, DnA, de LaB, and the LA Forum are presenting a walking tour of West Hollywood in memory of John Chase, dear friend, astute writer of books about L.A., and longtime urban designer for the City of Hollywood, whom we featured on an episode of DnA when he died last year. Using smarts and an exuberant personality, Chase worked with the often arduous planning process to help shape the fabric of West Hollywood. The tour will stretch over the day and will include readings of Chase's work by fans and friends. DnA associate producer Alissa Walker, who helped to produce the walk, passes along a few highlights of the tour, which you can RSVP for here . Sierra Bonita Affordable Housing designed by Patrick Tighe, one of the many projects John Chase helped make a reality. Photo by Art Gray
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo (Part I) Lincoln in the Bardo dramatizes a grieving President Lincoln as he visits the grave of his beloved son Willie, who died at age eleven. In the novel, the buried dead believe they're not dead -- "they're sick and refer to their coffins as "sick boxes."
