(We usually don’t re-post stories from other websites.  But with a slow week for events coming up, we decided to reprint the story announcing this event on Wednesday at Occidental College written by Streetsblog Contributer Mark Vallianatos in lieu of the “Week in Livable Streets Events” post.  If you leave any questions or comments here, Vallianatos and the UEPI team will see them.- DN)

We want you & your best  ideas for planning & making Los Angeles a better place.

Join UEPI at Occidental College on December 1 for a Q&A session with recently-appointed L.A. City Planning Director Michael LoGrande and L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, who has written about whether Los Angeles can become a ‘post-suburban city.’

The Q&A session will take place at 7pm in Johnson 200. RSVP on facebook or by emailing uepi@oxy.edu

Earlier that day, at 5:30 in Fowler 110, Latino Urban Forum founder James Rojas will host an interactive planning workshop that will enable participants to create a model of what the city could look like based on your vision of how to plan the city or your neighborhood.

In 2005, UEPI collaborated with a number of  organizations and individuals on Planning for a Livable City – an open letter to Mayor Villaraigosa’s yet-to-be-chosen planning director. This year, when the top planning post opened again, we drafted an open letter to Michael LoGrande touching on some of the same themes. This letter is open for your signature, check it out.

At its best, urban planning  responds to how people experience daily life in the city and also draws upon visionary ideas for making better places.  We want to include your ideas in the discussion. If there is a problem with the built environment or the planning process that bothers you or if you have an idea that could make Los Angeles a better place, email it to gpasciuto@oxy.edu

What kind of ideas?

• Well, it could be something that the city is doing well that should be broadened: like expanding the successful recycling program from single family houses to include all apartments, office buildings and institutions.
• Or eliminating rules that the city imposes that have a  negative impact on the environment and the urban form, like minimum parking requirements for new buildings.
• Or borrowing policies from other cities, like allowing urban gardeners to sell their produce from farm stands on the lots where they grow it.

Tell us what you think will make the city a better place- and come tell the new planning director!