In a keynote speech at the Urban Land Institute’s “Transit Oriented Los Angeles” conference, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the launch of a "Great Streets" program to coordinate work on, and investment in, "the City’s largest public space asset."
After conducting in-depth reviews of each department head, building his staff, and filling out the city's commissions (albeit with many friends, former staffers, and donors), Mayor Eric Garcetti is beginning to move forward with some of his meatier campaign promises. Earlier in the week, he unveiled the "work-in-progress" website for measuring City Hall's performance. Yesterday, he introduced his first executive directive - to launch a "Great Streets Initiative" - to an audience at the ULI's Transit Oriented Los Angeles conference, reports Damien Newton.
According to Executive Directive No. 1, the purpose of the program is to "focus on developing Great Streets that activate the public realm, provide economic revitalization, and support great neighborhoods."
“Today, I issued my first Executive Directive – establishing the City of Los Angeles ‘Great Streets’ program – creating jobs and making city government work better," said Garcetti. "We are taking another big step towards a fundamental change in how we perceive, interact, and build around us. A great neighborhood needs a great street as its backbone, and, as city leaders, we need the backbone to make the bold changes necessary to build great streets."
FULL STORY: Day 102: Garcetti Launches “Great Streets Initiative”

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.

Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.

Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.

A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton
Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research