Have you ever heard of or watched the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)? It is a classic comedy which[Read More...]
What does an Urban Church look like?
April 25, 2013 By
Churches and other places of worship are important institutions in our communities that serve multiple roles and needs.
APA Conference: Lessons from Chicago
April 22, 2013 By
I was just in Chicago, one of my favorite cities, for the American Planning Association (APA)’s National Planning Conference.
Book Review: The Art of Urban Sketching
February 19, 2013 By
Have you ever heard of “urban sketching”? Essentially, it is the art of freehand drawing on location at cities where[Read More...]
Land Use Law & Order
February 4, 2013 By
On January 18, 2013, I attended UCLA Extension’s annual Land Use Law and Planning Conference which covered a wide range[Read More...]
Los Angeles as a Museums Capital: Part II
January 31, 2013 By
Los Angeles is indeed a museums capital. As I shared in a previous article, there are hundreds of museums and[Read More...]
Images, Instagram, and City Planning
December 28, 2012 By
It takes vision to plan and implement creative ideas to improve our communities. Vision as used here refers to a[Read More...]
Los Angeles as a Museums Capital
November 28, 2012 By
Have you ever considered Los Angeles to be a cultural capital? Or do you think that our city is still[Read More...]
Canstruction: Promoting Design and Fighting Hunger
November 15, 2012 By
While visiting FIGat7th in Downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, I noticed that a giant shoe sculpture made entirely of canned food[Read More...]
Any Idiot Can Plan?
November 9, 2012 By
“Any idiot can plan!” That is the response I have heard some critics and cynics give when asked what AICP[Read More...]
Teaching Planning and Policy: a First-Timer’s Perspective
November 5, 2012 By
In his book The Skillful Teacher (2006), Dr. Stephen D. Brookfield states: “Teaching is about making some kind of dent[Read More...]
What Hurricane Sandy teaches us about our built environment
October 30, 2012 By
The profession of Design is about to drastically change. If you’re an architect, engineer, planner or builder, the way you[Read More...]
Downtown Schooling
September 13, 2012 By
In deciding where to live, most parents with young children typically choose neighborhoods with quality public schools. Unfortunately, most of[Read More...]
Village at USC: Good for the University and Los Angeles
August 31, 2012 By
As a planner and a former resident of the North University Park area, I have been very excited about the[Read More...]
Why We Need the American Community Survey
August 26, 2012 By
What provides data that helps determine how over $400 billion in federal and state funds are spent annually? What information[Read More...]
Water Wheel to Pay Tribute to Los Angeles’ Past, Nurture Its Present
August 14, 2012 By
Los Angeles – A proposed project set for downtown Los Angeles will double as a way to irrigate a park[Read More...]
A Tale of Two Downtown Parks
August 7, 2012 By
Just about everyone has been talking about Los Angeles’ Grand Park these days. The first two blocks of the new[Read More...]
Public Gets a Look at the Historic Boyle Hotel
August 1, 2012 By
Los Angeles – With the former Boyle Hotel’s renovation complete, project proponents Monday removed the black construction screen that hid[Read More...]
Three Groups File Lawsuits Over LA’s Hollywood Development Plan
July 24, 2012 By
Los Angeles – Three groups are suing the city of Los Angeles following the City Council’s approval last week of[Read More...]
6th Street Viaduct Replacement Project
July 18, 2012 By
Downtown Los Angeles, CA – Last week on July 10th 2012 at the Police Department Justice Building Auditorium, the Bureau[Read More...]