Many planners might dream of how they'd change their communities if they were able to run things. In Compton, just south of Los Angeles, new mayor Aja Brown is hoping utilize her planning experience to help turn around the struggling city.
"An urban planner by trade, [Brown] ran for mayor this spring on the premise that The Hub City could be great, the sort of city that her family remembers from a generation ago," writes Nona Willis Aronowitz. "When Brown talks about Compton, she downplays its reputation as the birthplace of gangster rap or a cesspool of political corruption, and instead focuses on its access to five freeways, its airport, its golf course, its school district, its college."
"A July L.A. Weekly profile characterized some of Brown’s policy plans, like downtown revitalization or reuse of public space, as 'hipster ideas.' But Brown rejects that she favors a bird’s-eye wonderland over the basics. In fact, she says, “I would say it’s actually converse… having smooth streets, a low crime rate, making certain that we trim our trees” are her top priorities."
FULL STORY: How a Churchgoing Urban Planner Became Compton’s Millennial Mayor
City of Compton Introduces Two-Year Guaranteed Income Pilot
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Activating L.A.’s Transit Stations
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
San Antonio Remains Affordable as City Grows
The city’s active efforts to keep housing costs down through housing reforms and coordinated efforts among city agencies and developers have kept it one of the most affordable in the nation despite its rapid population growth.
What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities
U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
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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.
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