Things to read from the past week:
- Developers allegedly bribed an L.A. councilman. What happens to their building plans?: "...the question of what the city should — or can — do to thwart such projects could hinge on a long list of factors, including how far along developers are in the building process, what kind of approvals they have obtained, and what can be proved about the alleged bribery in the federal case, according to land use attorneys interviewed by The Times." (LA Times)
- Electric bus debuts on G (Orange) Line today in San Fernando Valley: Today’s deployment is the first of 40 electric buses that will be put into service by the end of 2020. The 60-foot articulated buses are manufactured by New Flyer and the G Line (Orange) in the San Fernando Valley is the first line to receive these electric buses. (The Source)
- Opinion: Urbanism is Complicit in Infra-Structural Racism — And Reparations Have a Place in the Built Environment: "While our elected officials convene research boards and advisory councils, cities, agencies, and organizations can act — and begin a process of true atonement today." (Streetsblog USA)
- Dilapidated building of famed architect to be renovated for homeless services: Led by a redesign from Long Beach firm Studio One Eleven, a building created by mid-mod master Edward Killingsworth in Downtown Long Beach will be lifted from condemnation and adaptively reused in order to once again serve as a homeless service center. (Long Beach Post)
- LA could see wave of evictions if more protections not offered, UCLA study says: "Unlawful detainer notices, which are lawsuits to evict tenants, could go out as early as Aug. 14 when the Los Angeles County moratorium on evictions potentially could be lifted....About 365,000 renter households in Los Angeles are in imminent danger of homelessness unless elected leaders take sweeping action." (ABC7)
- Improving Transit Equity in L.A. During the Pandemic: "Los Angeles is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic while confronting pervasive racial inequality. Improving health care access, reducing educational inequality, and police reform are rightfully at the forefront of current debates. But we also must address transportation equity. People need to get to work, healthcare, and schools, and unequal access is a major inequity in our region. Public transit in particular is one of our most important social services and we must make it fairer." (Streetsblog LA)
- L.A. Designates Open-Air Dining Areas Along 101 Freeway Median: Once again, the Onion dunks on Los Angeles (The Onion)
- 'They're Only Going To Cause More Harm': The Push To Remove Police From Mental Health Crisis Calls: "Amid the calls to defund the police, there's a strong push to re-think the way we rely on officers to handle thousands of mental health crises every year." (LAist)
- Office rents will likely drop — but not apartment rents, survey finds: "Retail space will take an even more severe hit, while industrial real estate looks like a bright spot, and demand — and rents — for multi-family homes are expected to stay relatively high, said the Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast survey, which focuses on expectations of what the next three years will hold for commercial real estate in Southern California and the Bay Area." (LA Times)
- Work underway on the new Taylor Yard pedestrian bridge across the L.A. River: "The $18 million bridge is being paid for by Metro and is scheduled to open in early 2021. The Cypress Park end of the bridge will be near the Rio De Los Angeles State Park and the new homes and apartments that make up the Taylor Yard Transit Village. In Elysian Valley, access to the new bridge will be near Riverdale." (Eastsider)
- Feds add bribery and money laundering charges against L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar: "The new charges were included in a 34-count grand jury indictment expanding on earlier allegations that Huizar headed up a criminal enterprise that leveraged his power at City Hall for financial gain, aiding real estate developers who handed over bribes including cash, free flights, casino chips and other perks." (LA Times)
- Systemic Racism Can't Be Fixed Without Tackling It Within Cycling: "Fourteen riders share their experiences being Black in the cycling world." (Bicycling)