Ancestors v. Polka Dots: Some Thoughts on Approaches to “Place-Making”
In many historically marginalized urban neighborhoods, decades of disenfranchisement and the repressive policing that accompanied it created great insecurity in the public space and, over time, eroded bonds of social trust between neighbors. With the public space essentially rendered off limits for too many, community had to be nurtured in private spaces.
June 27, 2017
Tamika Butler to Step Down as Head of LACBC; Leaves Behind Strong Legacy of Inclusion in Transportation
Perhaps the most powerful thing Butler did during her tenure was to consistently give of herself to create space for others on the margins in a field where there is currently precious little.
June 15, 2017
Vision Zero Aims to Improve Safety along Main, Broadway, Western, Hoover, and More in South L.A.
The focus on South L.A. is due to the high rate at which pedestrians and cyclists are killed or severely injured (KSI) in collisions with vehicles. Case in point - sixteen of the twenty-five most dangerous neighborhoods for cyclists and pedestrians called out on the map below are in South L.A.
June 12, 2017
Gateway Cities COG Walks Away from Active Transpo Commitment; EYCEJ, Urban Health Strategies Say, “Not So Fast…”
The report is much more than just a discussion of the region's active transportation needs. It's a call to arms - a plea to the Southeast cities to take a leadership role in investing local return dollars from Measure M in infrastructure that serves the area's most vulnerable road users.
June 1, 2017
City Tests Out Low-Cost Fixes to Enhance Pedestrian Safety in South L.A.
Recently, the city has been busy testing out a number of low-cost fixes aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety along some of Los Angeles' high-injury corridors as part of the push to implement Vision Zero.
May 25, 2017
New Bike Lanes on Hooper and Firestone in Florence-Firestone
L.A. County implemented road diet bike lanes, visible from the Metro Blue Line.
May 11, 2017
When a Progressive Community Fails to See Its Own Biases, Bullying and Bigotry Get a Pass
So I resorted to the sincere query that I’ve made to him on several occasions, namely: Help me understand why consideration of the needs of the most vulnerable among us - particularly lower-income black and brown communities - is so offensive to you?
May 8, 2017
USC Poised to Displace Black-Owned Bike Repair Business…For the Second Time
The relationships Flournoy has with the people he has long served are the kinds of relationships that make communities feel like communities. And those relationships are some of the first casualties as folks begin to lose their footholds in the neighborhoods they have built their lives around.
May 1, 2017
Mark! Lopez Named Winner of the “Green” Nobel – the Goldman Environmental Prize
In the immortal words of our former Vice President Joe Biden, “This is a big f*cking deal.”
April 24, 2017
Eyes on the Street: Metro Blue Line Improvements Take Shape in South L.A.
Late last year, Metro finished pedestrian and other safety upgrades to eight intersections along the Blue Line. The pedestrian improvements finally taking shape at the remaining 19 intersections - 12 of which are in South L.A. - have been in the works for some time and continue to prove challenging.
April 21, 2017
