News

August 7, 2025

West Hollywood’s Cultural Vision for LA28: “Inventing Traditions” and Leading the Arts

As preparations for LA28 advance—including a forthcoming executive order from President Donald Trump to establish a federal task force supporting the Games—West Hollywood stands out as the first city to adopt a fully funded, multi-year Cultural Plan. Spearheaded by Arts Manager Rebecca Ehemann and shaped by Laura Zucker of AEA Consulting, the plan emphasizes creativity, inclusion, and civic identity. Themed “Inventing Traditions,” it fosters local and international cultural collaborations tied to the Games. The initiative positions West Hollywood as a model for leveraging the Olympics to create a lasting cultural legacy.

August 7, 2025

California Insurance Crisis Panel: The State of the Insurance Industry

TPR covers a timely and important panel discussion—“The State of the Insurance Industry”—convened by Capitol Weekly and the UC Student and Policy Center. The panel explored how California’s insurance landscape is evolving in response to escalating climate-related risks, with a particular focus on the impact of recent wildfires in the Los Angeles region.

August 7, 2025

Case Study Insights from the Santa Monica & Vermont P3 Project

At a recent Southern California Public-Private Partnerships event by BisNow, The Planning Report was on hand to document a powerful case study in public-private collaboration: the redevelopment of the Santa Monica & Vermont Metro station area into a vibrant, affordable housing and public space project.

August 7, 2025

Freshman Assemblymember Nick Schultz Brings Experience & Fresh Eyes to the State Legislature

Representing California's 44th District, in this timely interview, Assemblymember Nick Schultz reflects on his transition from local office to state government and the challenges amid fiscal constraints and climate urgency. Schultz emphasizes the importance of proactive constituent engagement, independent legislative thinking, and ensuring that local governments are equipped with both the mandates and resources needed to deliver results.

July 25, 2025

Strong Towns: What Happens When Housing Prices Go Down?

Continuing TPR’s coverage debunking the conventional wisdom dominating the housing policy debate and degrading local control over planning and land use, TPR excerpts this essay from Strong Towns Founder, Charles Morohn, for its insightful examination of the market dynamics that affect—and require—increasing housing costs beyond simple supply-side economics.

July 25, 2025

From the Waterfront to Watts: Tim McOsker on Fighting for the “One-Five”

The Planning Report spoke with Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker—who represents the 15th District, home to both the Port of Los Angeles and the communities of Watts, Wilmington, and San Pedro—on the challenges and responsibilities of his first term in office.

July 25, 2025

Storper et. al: Yes, YIMBY-ism Is Profoundly Conservative—And Wrong on Housing Policy

TPR invited economist, urban geographer, and Distinguished Professor of Regional and International Development in Urban Planning at UCLA Luskin, Professor Michael Storper to respond to the Atlantic's recent coverage of the housing affordability debate. Here, Storper, along with Max Buchholz (UC Berkeley), Tom Kemeny (University of Toronto), Gregory Randolph (Georgia Tech) challenge what they call “deregulationist-upzoning groupthink.”

July 25, 2025

Councilmember Nithya Raman on Civic Distrust & Governance in Los Angeles

Raman shares her perspective on the structural challenges that hinder effective regional responses to Southern California’ complex challenges, the promise and shortcomings of Measure ULA, and the urgency of rebuilding civic trust in a time of fragmentation.

July 22, 2025

Dear Atlantic: Stop Publishing Propaganda on Housing. It's Too Important

In a sharply worded response to The Atlantic’s recent piece The Biggest Myth About the YIMBY Movement, Patrick Condon—James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Livable Environments at the University of British Columbia—rebukes what he calls the magazine’s “housing propaganda” and urges a more evidence-based debate on affordability. We support and share a related open letter from 27 well-known Metro Vancouver scholars, retired city planners, urbanists, developers and architects sent to Prime Minister Carney and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, shared to us by Condon.

July 22, 2025

Rick Caruso: Accelerating LA’s Recovery & Restoring Trust

The Planning Report shares a candid and timely interview with Rick Caruso, who reflects on lessons from decades of community-centered development and elaborates on the work he’s undertaken to assist LA’s wildfire recovery.

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