South LA
Streetsblog LA
As City Considers Removing Ban on Parkway Vegetable Gardens, Some Communities Continue Planting
Later this morning, the Los Angeles City Council will consider a motion to formally halt the ticketing of individuals who plant vegetable gardens in the curb strips in front of their residences. Wesson promised the motion in 2011, after a Steve Lopez column in the Los Angeles Times told the story of one resident who planted such a garden, shared healthy food with his neighborhood, and was promptly ticketed by the city.
August 13, 2013
“You Don’t Belong Here:” Sheriffs Profile Reporter
"Hi," said a terse voice to my left.
August 12, 2013
MyFigueroa! Plan for LA’s First Protected Bike Lanes Clears Environmental Review
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning released the Final Environmental Impact Report for the South Figueroa Streetscape Project (MyFigueroa!). The $20 million MyFigueroa! Project will bring Los Angeles its first protected bike lanes and a transit-only lane while removing some street parking and mixed-use travel lanes.
August 8, 2013
“Invest in Us!” say South L.A. Youth in Response to Questions about How to Curb Violence at Town Hall with Garcetti
When asked by his group's facilitator whether he believed the youth in South L.A. had opportunities -- opportunities to grow, succeed, try new things, advance their education, you name it -- one young man said he was convinced that the answer was a resounding "no."
August 7, 2013
Support the United Riders of South L.A. as They Ride in Gardena this Weekend (UPDATED)
If you've followed this blog at all recently, you're probably familiar with the disturbing video showing some of our favorite South L.A. superheroes -- the East Side Riders and Los Ryderz -- getting pulled over, frisked, and handed bogus tickets while on a memorial bike ride for Benjamin Torres.
August 6, 2013
Got Justice?: Observations on a Food Justice Youth Summit and Food as a Means to Youth and Community Empowerment
When speaking with a major non-profit about their decision to put gardens in South Los Angeles, Garrett Broad says he was struck by their declaration that, after running the data, "it just so happen[ed]" that the highest incidences of heart disease, diabetes, and other health risk factors were found there.
July 31, 2013
Art, Food Justice, and Bike Rides Make South L.A. the Place to be this Weekend
One of the really fun things about tracking South L.A. as intimately as I have over the past couple of years is seeing how the area is transforming itself, both as a site of innovation in community organizing and as a destination for arts and fun. This weekend's events offer a perfect example of what I mean.
July 25, 2013
Demonstrations of Solidarity are Not Enough to Make Public Space Safe for Everyone
Listening to reports of the murder of yet another Sikh in the wake of 9/11, my mother looked up at the portrait of my father and sighed, "It's a good thing he's not here to see this."
July 17, 2013
Gardena PD Ticket, Harass United Riders of South Los Angeles for Taking Lane while the Case of the Hit-and-Run Victim They Were Honoring Remains Unsolved
The United Riders of South Los Angeles had just left the memorial site for Benjamin Torres, killed last October in Gardena in a hit-and-run, when they were pulled over by the Gardena Police Department.
July 12, 2013