Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Eastside

In an effort to show how transportation, open space, planning and other issues are intertwined with the health, culture, livability and strength of a community, Streetsblog and The California Endowment teamed to bring Streetsblog’s coverage to a hyper-local level in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. Sahra Sulaiman is Communities Editor for Streetsblog Los Angeles and oversees work in South Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. Her work and that of our former Boyle Heights-specific writer Kris Fortin can be found here. Contact Sahra at sahra[at]streetsblog.org or on twitter: @sahrasulaiman.

A sidewalk vendor feeds cyclists on Olympic Blvd. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

Bill Legalizing Sidewalk Vending Statewide Moves Through Legislature, Awaits Governor’s Signature

By Sahra Sulaiman | Aug 22, 2018 | 12 Comments

Using the hashtag “EloteJustice” and some maize emojis, Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) announced on twitter Monday that S.B. 946 – the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act aimed at legalizing street vending statewide and allowing cities to establish permit programs governing the practice – had passed through the Assembly with bipartisan support. Tuesday night, he sent […]

Cesar Rodríguez' ashes are the centerpiece of an altar that takes up one side of the common room where his family lives. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

Video of Moments Before Man Crushed by Blue Line Train Raises More Questions for Family in Mourning

By Sahra Sulaiman | Aug 14, 2018 | 5 Comments

"They stole a part of our hearts with my brother."

A street vendor in the piñata district holds up two cochinitos. Should the vending ordinance pass as currently structured, the presence of vendors in areas like the piñata district could be significantly curtailed. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

Proposed Ordinance Treats Street Vendors as Streetscape Amenities Rather than Community Assets

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 25, 2018 | 1 Comment

The gentleman who sets up on the residential corner two blocks from my apartment is a neighborhood fixture. Under the proposed sidewalk vending ordinance making its way through city council, his fruit stand would be illegal.

In a workshop led by consultant Monique López, street vendors weigh the pros and cons of alternative configurations of the MacArthur Park vending district. Image courtesy of Monique López

You Can’t Plan Mexican Hot Chocolate: How Monique López Deploys a Justice Lens in Her Engagement of Street Vendors

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 27, 2018

Monique felt it was imperative to begin, as she always did, with the basics: How does this ecosystem work and what does it need to thrive?

Construction proceeding on the new 6th Street Viaduct. All photos by Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.

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Eyes on the Street: Sixth Street Bridge Construction Underway

By Joe Linton | May 31, 2018 | 7 Comments

Construction is proceeding on L.A.'s $482 million Sixth Street Viaduct, anticipated to open in 2019

Monique López leads a participatory design workshop with stakeholders trying to combat a freeway expansion project in San Diego. Courtesy Monique López

When an Accidental Planner Brings Intentionality to Her Work: A Conversation with Monique López of Pueblo Planning

By Sahra Sulaiman | May 25, 2018 | 3 Comments

“Once you change the city planning process," says Monique López, founder of the participatory planning and design firm Pueblo Planning, "you're going to change the city in a manner that's more equitable, that's more sustainable, that's more human, and that's more just."

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