Beyond mega-development

L.A. planning czar, Gail Goldberg, points to lovely Larchmont Village as an example of a neighborhood that works. She also believe larger-scale projects -- and smart growth -- can work if properly planned -- and without causing more gridlock. But in a fascinating profile by The Times Steve Hymon, the planning chief says L.A. need more than a bunch of mega-developments:

Goldberg believes there are ample development opportunities without having to rely on mega-projects. The key is to steer clear of neighborhoods that want to stay as they are and help communities that want her help — thereby creating examples the rest of the city can see. "All the data support that growth is happening in this state with or without development, and most of the growth — the kind that is controllable, if you will — is around" new jobs, Goldberg said. "Any city that is producing jobs is going to attract people to that city, and L.A. is doing both." If good planning means more density, it remains to be seen how that will play here. Most residents fight such projects, believing they will add more vehicles to the road. Goldberg says, however, that good development can lessen the number of car trips people take.

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[Benjamin Brown]

Los Angeles losing it's bid for the 2016 Olympics certainly marks the beginning of scaled-down non-mega projects. Most certainly the complicity in secret psycho-subliminal nuclear lab abductions on behalf of areas like the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon contributed to this down-graded so-called "new era". Perhaps Gail Goldberg is content domestic refoulment policies. Just like as Israel jailed 320 Sudanese from Darfur in the name of National Security the same could be said for L.A. leaving it's native Son's toil and suffer in secret cities such as Grants Pass, Oregon. The tragedy now is that the only mega-project left for the Southland is rebuilding after an 8-point earthquake. What a waste.