While the costs to revive the L.A. City Hall lawn from the wrath of Occupy L.A. are uncertain, one thing is not. The grass is dead. Parks and Rec's most recent estimate for sod replacement and sprinkler repair totals $120k, a number that, while still high, dropped down a few hundreds of thousands after the previous $400k projection. Is it worth the time and money to keep up the lawn? more ›

Green thumbs up! The City of Oak Park has since dropped the charges against Bass. The combination of a petition drive, Facebook page and blog gained notoriety and possibly forced the city to change its mind, according to WJBK Fox 2 News. more ›

As Angelenos, we complain about LA traffic and talk regularly about a future with fast, affordable mass transit. We encourage carpooling, bicycling, ridesharing, walking. Yet, when it comes to ditching our cars in favor of a high-speed rail system that could help alleviate many of our daily (and environmental) concerns, are we all talk or is LA ready to embrace a solution? more ›

Next week, the first ever Los Angeles Bicycle and Pedestrian Count will take place all over the city in the hopes of gaining a better sense of the number of bike-riders and pedestrians who use the streets. With a better sense of who is out there on foot and two wheels, the city can take those numbers into account when planning for the future, explains the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), who are running the count... more ›

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Occidental Professor Robert Gottlieb's latest book -- Reinventing Los Angeles: Nature and Community in the Global City -- is going to be awfully tempting to Angelenos who care about urban planning, the environment and social change. Get a taste when he reads today at Dutton's at 2pm -- and then ask the store to order a copy for you. more ›

While it is hard for most to understand or imagine, once you have become entrenched in the archipelagic enclave of skyscrapers and bona fide mass transit that is Manhattan Island, it is difficult to leave. For a New Yorker, geographic displacement can fester into a self-induced internalized affront (even if just for a few short days). But the compelling lure of a free trip to Los Angeles to accompany my aunt on a business trip... more ›

Amount of space required to transport the same number of passengers by car, bus or bicycle. This poster, from the City of Munster in Germany, has been making its way around the internet this past week. Now, either an internet star or slut, it carries a simple message about congestion, urban planning and people: cars are great, but can really suck in certain situations and people will just deal with it anyway. We often... more ›

Just when you thought the public transportation and traffic situation in Los Angeles couldn't possibly get any worse... it did. Yes, in a true stroke of brilliance, the State Assembly decided to cut close to $1.3 billion in funding from mass transit transportation in this year's budget bill. As Siel over at green LA girl notes, this means we can probably kiss that planned Expo line expansion from Culver City to Santa Monica good-bye.... more ›

File this under the "no kidding" category: according to a new report just released by the state Department of Finance, California's population is expected to surge by almost 75% over the next half-century with Riverside the likely recipient of a large fraction of the influx. Analysts predict it will surpass its neighbors to become the second most populous county in the state after Los Angeles. The state's population will have almost doubled in size... more ›

We want to be really excited going into our long weekend that celebrates our nation's independence. We have a new Mayor in Antonio Villaraigosa who, immediately and willingly, becomes a national political figure and may, if his rhetoric at the progressive conference is to be believed, help push American government to look forward instead of backwards in its urban planning, renewal and management and keep LA in the national conversation. more ›

Nick Pacheco has announced his candidacy for LA City Council Member from District 14 in Northeast Los Angeles. Pacheco held this position two years ago, then lost it to Antonio Villaraigosa, who will now be vacating it to become mayor. The LA Times suggests that school board president Jose Huizar and state senator Gil Cedillo are also likely candidates for the seat. more ›

For those of us conflicted environmentalists who happen to have a weakness for the Fast and the Furious and totally love that just about every late model car can be seen on the streets of Los Angeles, the LA Auto Show is a sight to behold. Thus, a visit to some horrendous urban planning and design, i.e. the Convention Center, can be a hell of a good time for a naïve interloper/secret car enthusiast. more ›

Few people in Los Angeles are as plugged into the urban and cultural planning scenes and other fascinating areas of overlap as James Rojas. In addition to his 9-to-5 as a project manager at the MTA, James's irons in the fire include helming the Latino Urban Forum and lecturing on various planning and cultural issues at venues that range from the university to the community grass roots level. He's also co-owner of the Gallery 727 on Spring Street in Downtown, where Don Normark and Don Rogers's photographs of "South Central Farmers" (featured in the yesterday) will be on display later this month. In sum, James's deep understanding and respect for Los Angeles combined with his tenacity and organizing prowess provide unique contributions to our city. more ›