June 24, 2010
Seaside, Florida was hit this week with oil from the BP spill. Seaside is known as the first “new urbanist” community built from the ground-up as a compact, walkable town. (It is designed by famous architects/planners Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk.) There is some irony in this tragedy: The town is considered by some to be a model for high-density development which discourages dependence on fossil fuels.
There is a deeper controversy, as well. First reports of oil washing up on Seaside’s shores were allegedly met with denial by local officials, including the tourism board, which refused to close the beaches (as documented in these video reports.) Currently, Seaside’s website acknowledges but downplays the problem and its potential damage to beachgoers’ health: “While some of our beaches received oil impacts yesterday, they were quickly cleaned overnight. Most of our beaches have had no impacts and all of our beaches remain open.”
June 23, 2010
The Huffington Post blog/publication has added an important beat to its roster of local coverage. Transportation writer Joel Epstein is now covering issues related to Transportation Oriented Development (TOD): compact real estate projects at or near transportation hubs (light rail, subway, bus lines) that encourage walkability, discourage driving, help to improve the balance of jobs to housing, and help preserve energy and resources. All you have to do is look at that ghastly BP gusher to see the value in TODs. Epstein’s columns – which also cover Los Angeles’ expanding rail system – appear regularly in the much-read Huffington Post.
Says Epstein on why he chose this topic: “California is changing thanks to natural population growth, resources challenges, congestion and new thinking about the kind of lives Californians want to live. In the future we will see even more TODs built around sensible transportation options.”
Very sensibly on display were the transportation options offered at the June 4 TOD Summit in Hollywood, created by ULI Los Angeles. Epstein covered the event from all angles. This includes the growth of TODs outside of Los Angeles: “Many of the most exciting projects are ones the conference sponsors are building in Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere rather than in the United States and more pointedly, Los Angeles.”
Epstein also serves as consultant for the business, labor, environmental and civic coalition Move LA.
June 1, 2010
The BP Gulf of Mexico disaster provides a teachable moment on the desperate need to wean our cities off petroleum… as if we needed such teaching prior to that horrible accident. It’s an issue directly tied to how we plan development in California. Urban Land Institute (ULI Los Angeles) addresses the power of Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) to corral congestion and streamline resources at its TOD Summit, Friday, June 4 at Hollywood Renaissance Hotel. The day-long conference includes guest speakers U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and HUD Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities Shelley Poticha. There will also be TOD site tours and “fix-it team” recommendations for four underperforming TODs. This includes the Slauson Avenue Blue Line station where ULI important advisory-panel work has been covered by LA Streetsblog, Planetizen, LA Curbed, and more.
Also at TOD Summit, ULI will unveil a significant report on the impact of California Senate Bill 375’s ability to help create both more economically and environmentally sustainable cities. Other surprise big-shots and announcements expected. ULI Los Angeles’ TOD Summit could be a pivotal event in California’s urban evolution.
