Mayor Villaraigosa must appoint a planning director who will overcome the sprawling bureaucracy that has hindered much of the LA's endeavors, says the Los Angeles Times.
Departing Planning Director Gail Goldberg found her "success was limited by a sprawling bureaucracy that works outside and often around her department; by a political establishment that gives City Council members extraordinary control over projects and makes development an exercise in political negotiation rather than carefully considered land-use policy; and ultimately by City Hall's poor budget and staffing decisions that left her without the resources to do her work."
The Mayor must streamline and unify the planning process if he "is serious about the "real planning" and "smart growth" approach to land use that he embraced when running for mayor."
FULL STORY: Shaping the City of LA
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.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens
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Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use
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City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity
The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.
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.
City of Albany
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