Planetizen
Managing editor of Planetizen, an urban planning and design website; former reporter covering land use and planning issues for Curbed LA and The Architects Newspaper; Outreach and Data Coordinator in the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona; former editor of the Planning Report, a monthly land-use and infrastructure development journal
From a Concrete Ditch to a Real Estate Boom After the concrete was poured in the 1930's to make it a flood-control channel, nobody thought much about the LA River. But new events and amenities are attracting visitors, and a $1.3 billion plan for cleanup and restoration took a step forward last month. There's now such a boom in real estate speculation that long-time residents are worried about being priced out. KCRW's Saul Gonzalez went down to the river. You can learn more and see additional photos of gentrification along the LA River on the WWLA blog .
Restoring the LA River: Is the Latest Plan Big Enough? The Los Angeles River runs for 32 miles through the City of LA, in a concrete flood control channel that the Army Corps of Engineers started to build in the 1930's. In recent decades, there's been pressure for restoration. Now the Corps has reduced 152 plans down to four, ranging from $346 million to $1 billion. The Corps is recommending Alternative 13, on the lower cost side, which would restore water flow and habitation on parts of 11 miles of the river.
'Rampture' on the 405 at Wilshire Boulevard There are eight on-and-off ramps where the 405 Freeway meets Wilshire Boulevard on the West side of Los Angeles. Built for a different era, they are notorious for dangerous and time-consuming congestion. In the next few months, all of them are going to be closed for reconstruction — two at a time. It's all part of the commuter-lane addition that brought us three days of Carmageddon . The "Rampture" will go on a lot longer.
The Valley Performing Arts Center Opens: Are LA’s Suburbs Creating their Own Arts Centers? The Grand Avenue project on Bunker Hill is supposed to put Los Angeles on the cultural map of the world. But the Grand Avenue Authority just gave the Related Companies yet another extension of the deadline to break ground on Phase One. In the meantime, the suburbs—where many lovers of culture reside—are building their own centers. Most recently, CalState University Northridge opened the Valley Performing Arts Center to rave reviews. The west side is another source of potential audiences for the Grand Avenue project downtown. Since 2008, west-siders have been attending performances at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
Update with Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner Austin Beutner has been Los Angeles' First Deputy Mayor since Antonio Villaraigosa appointed him in January. Reportedly, that came at the urging of former Mayor Richard Riordan, Eli Broad and other business and political leaders. Some think Beutner should run for the top job himself when Villaraigosa is termed out in 2013. When Villaraigosa made the appointment he declared the dawn of a new "era of accountability." Aides to Beutner have drawn up a paper called "Nine Months on the Job."
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
