The Los Angeles City Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on amending the L.A. Municipal Code to establish a Green Building Code. This would set a minimum threshold for buildings of 50,000 sq ft, or above 50 units to meet LEED certification. It would further formalize the collaboration between various city departments (e.g. LADWP, Public Works) and the mayor, I mean the city. In July Mayor Villaraigosa presented an environmental policy statement report outlining his vision for a more "sustainable" Los Angeles, this is part of it.
We'll be unveiling a google map mash up specific to noteworthy places, constructed and in the vernacular sense. No new luxury housing construction projects a la Curbed LA, but sites where people create vibrancy outside of formal planning and architectural processes. In communities that are park poor and lack recreation places, ingenuity and practicality takes hold..and creates better planning solutions. See Hansen Dam
The widely anticipated arrival of the euro-based grocery store Fresh N' Easy came this past Thursday, but all wasn't exactly fanfare. A coalition of community organizations, and labor groups have been pushing for Tesco (owner of Fresh N' Easy) to grant community benefits agreements since the middle of summer. The call & need for these concessions have been substantiated by a report/study released in August by Occidental College's Urban & Environmental Policy Research Institute. Look for Fresh n' Easy's expansion to not be so easy after all, considering all the fresh labor led victories against Wal Mart throughout L.A. County. The first operating store within the City of L.A. municipality is in Glassell Park, which lies within the Assembly District of labor champion Assemblymember Kevin De León (AD-45) whom I sure will be play a leading role as this thing plays out. Shoot, there's already a certificate from the office of AD-45 right near the human-operated cashiers, yes, a differentiation needs to be made, visit & see for yourself...and park in the obnoxious family parking stalls.
Below is a press conference held in front of the Glassell Park with various LA heavies, including Maria Elena Durazo, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer with the LA County Fed. of Labor
Check out the article on the Latino Urban Forum featured in Real Talk LA. Excellent commentary by both James and Hilda Delgado on the urban shaping of L.A. by immigrants.
