Our recently adopted City Zoning Ordinance envisions adding dense new housing in the downtown area. We can now see how well that housing goal is being met. What is undoubtedly
There are two different visions for our downtown. Do we want to be a densely populated urban place, a smaller Downtown Los Angeles simply adjacent to a beach, or remain
By now, most of you may have heard of the LUVE initiative. LUVE stands for Land Use Voter Empowerment. It is a citywide initiative started by Residocracy to allow residents
Some of you may have heard of the LUVE initiative. We support this measure, which aims to protect Santa Monica from overdevelopment, keep traffic from getting worse, preserve resources and
The City's focus on maintaining the character of our environment has recently shifted from the neighborhoods, to the Downtown. “Storm clouds” are gathering with an impending clash between
The City of Santa Monica is currently engaged in finalizing its Downtown Community Plan (DCP). This Specific Plan is generally bounded by Lincoln Boulevard, the Interstate 10 freeway, Ocean Avenue
The draft of the new Downtown Community Plan has now been made available to the public for input. This draft is the result of years of effort, re-writing and reconfiguring.
It's not enough for a city to provide its residents mobility, affordable housing, places of worship or profitable businesses. These are essential but minimal standards. Our city should
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, our City Council will receive a report from the appointed members of the Civic Working Group. It is the culmination of over 18 months of volunteer
Our City is blessed with an array of transportation options, perhaps the envy of any small city in this state and in the country. Our system has worked well for
Editor's note: Last week's SMa.r.t. column discussed urban and architectural design. This week's column discusses process, zoning and conclusions as related to
This is the first of two columns on urban planning and architectural design, both subjects that have not been addressed adequately in practice and our current codes. Urban and architectural
