News

November 5, 2025

Less Than 1,000 Days to Go: LA’s Olympic Promise and our Civic Reality

At a sold-out convening hosted by ULI Los Angeles, civic leaders, planners, and designers confronted the question facing Los Angeles as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games draw near: what kind of legacy can the city still deliver in the final 1,000 days? Moderated by former Pasadena Councilmember and Chief Deputy Controller Rick Cole, the panel—featuring Rodrigo Soares (AECOM), Daniel Bernstein (LA Metro), Michelle Stevenson (HKS Architects), and Mott Smith (Amped Kitchens)—examined whether the so-called “no-build Games” can still produce meaningful, lasting change.

November 4, 2025

Brenda Levin Honored with 2025 Harvard GSD Alumni Award

The Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council has named Los Angeles architect Brenda Levin, FAIA (MArch ’76) as one of three recipients of the 2025 GSD Alumni Award, recognizing her exceptional achievements in architecture and preservation.

November 4, 2025

Earl Blumenauer on Portland’s Rise, Fall, and Recovery: Lessons for West Coast Cities

In a wide-ranging conversation, former Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer contends that West Coast downtowns can recover if their leaders focus on delivery over rhetoric, while insisting on accountability from what he calls “productive progressives.” Blumenauer pushes back on polarized portrayals of his city as a “war zone,” emphasizing peaceful mass demonstrations and judicial checks on federal overreach that affirmed civic resilience. Turning to Los Angeles, Blumenauer cautions that governance “reforms” too often breed fragmentation; what matters most, he argues, is performance and outcomes—not structure.

October 17, 2025

City Manager Oliver Chi Takes the Helm in Santa Monica’s Era of Transition

As Oliver Chi steps into his new role as City Manager for Santa Monica, he speaks to a pivotal moment marked by leadership turnover, financial strain, and a lingering sense of disorder. In conversation with TPR, Chi explains why he chose to take the helm now and details his plan for “realignment” through restoring order, reenergizing city staff, and rebuilding confidence among residents and the business community alike.

October 17, 2025

Urban History Association’s Opening Plenary - Brenda Levin's Remarks

At the Urban History Association's Conference in Los Angeles the opening plenary took on a fitting question: What can the rest of urban America learn from the City of Angels? TPR shares David Myers’ introduction of the opening plenary and Brenda Levin’s remarks, tracing how Los Angeles has evolved as both a mirror and a model for confronting inequality, nurturing cultural and immigrant communities, and redefining civic life through its built environment.

October 17, 2025

Outgoing CEO John Boesel on 2.5 Decades of Policy, Innovation, and Global Competition Shaping the EV Future

After 2.5+ decades of leading CALSTART, John Boesel reflects on how a small California initiative grew into a national force driving zero-emission transportation and clean-tech innovation. He shares lessons from California’s policy leadership and warns that maintaining climate progress will require defending incentives and accelerating investment amid rising global competition.

October 17, 2025

Building Resilience: Wildfire, Water, and Extreme Heat

As climate volatility accelerates across the American West, the Los Angeles Business Council's Sustainability Summit (2025) convened civic and utility leaders for a plenary on “Building Resilience: Wildfire, Water, and Extreme Heat.” TPR shares excerpts from the discussion, exploring the intersection of infrastructure, equity, and governance at the heart of California’s climate transition.

October 1, 2025

Keeping Our Children in California: Hertzberg on the Middle-Class Homeownership Act

Former California Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg shares his call to championing the proposed Middle-Class Homeownership and Family Home Construction Act, a 2026 ballot initiative aimed at expanding housing opportunities for middle-income Californians. Calling it a “war for the middle class,” Hertzberg emphasizes its goal: enabling working families and their children to build wealth and remain in California.

September 29, 2025

Interim President of USC Beong-Soo Kim Sits Down with LAEDC’s Stephen Cheung

TPR is pleased to share an excerpt from a recent conversation between USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim and Stephen Cheung, CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). President Kim reflects on his path to leading the University; how USC is building resilience in a time of uncertainty; and what it means, as one of the largest private employers in Los Angeles, to engage with the wider community as a driver of the regional economy.

September 29, 2025

Outgoing CARB Chair Liane Randolph on Legacy, Leadership, and the Reauthorization of ‘Cap-and-Invest’

Outgoing Chair Liane Randolph of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) reflects on her leadership journey through landmark climate achievements while addressing the State’s authority under fire and the road ahead for Cap-and-Invest. Underscoring the stakes of federal rollbacks, she stresses the importance of fresh leadership to carry the work forward.

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© 2025 The Planning Report | David Abel, Publisher, ABL, Inc.