derblut on July 21, 2011, at 08:49PM – #1

I'm not understanding the link between the tragic death last week and the amount of people? Can someone explain this to me? I thought it was an accident where a man parking his car jumped the curb.

off the street on July 21, 2011, at 09:03PM – #3

Well said Eric. @derbult, what many have said is that art walk should close the streets because the large amount of crowds tends to conflict with the traffic. As of often the case people spill over into the streets. so closing streets would allow people to not be as concern with traffic. it is the suggestion of many people that the event thou traffic, where bound to happen. Thou eric raises since good concerns about closing streets.

() on July 21, 2011, at 09:14PM – #4

Eric, thank you for this perspective. I am also against closing the streets during the Art Walk. The original point of the event was to show the world what downtown could be: an vibrant urban center. We succeeded at that. Now that it has moved beyond the original focus on art, and become a street party, the neighborhood needs to make a decision. Do we want to bo back to the days when the area was THE place for drinking and partying, or do we want a balance between residents and other uses?

Close the streets and it will drive out the residents. There's a danger there of starting anew a spiral of decline; which would be a shame to see happen yet again to downtown LA.

Megan Blaine () on July 21, 2011, at 09:36PM – #5

I understand this perspective, but respectfully disagree. I don't want artwalk to be just a giant street party, but it already is, and it's a dangerous one. At this point, art walk is out of control, and we need damage control. Mixing 40K people plus vehicles is a recipe for disaster. Once we make things safer for everyone, we can troubleshoot from there.

But I didn't see any solutions to the art-walk problem presented in this article. I get that it's an inconvenience for a few hours a month, but it already is, and right now it's also dangerous. All I'm saying is take the danger out of the situation then start curating, policing, and redirect focus back to the art.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/

() on July 21, 2011, at 10:28PM – #6

Closing the streets is not a solution, it is a capitulation to the idea that it is out of control. The Art Walk Board does not control this event, and it is too big to manage. Who exactly do you propose would curate, police and redirect focus if the people in charge can't do that? You? Who's going to pay for it? I hear no responsible voice in the demand to close the stret.

Vincent on July 21, 2011, at 11:00PM – #7

I hate to be the old guy that tells kids to "get off my lawn!" but I whole heartedly agree; artwalk isn't about the art anymore. It's lost its way a long time ago, and I attribute this to two factors: 1. The onslaught of underage highschool kids and 2: the over saturation of food trucks and other sideshows taking away from the its original intent. Within the past few months I've seen people throwing bottles on the crowds from the tops of buildings, countless fights and not to mention the unfortunate incident at 4th and spring. And as a current resident, I desperately want to believe that it promotes business, culture and development downtown.. But all you have to do is visit during a off night to realize that the only time these people come anywhere close to visit is to party like its some damn disneyland attraction.

I say shut it down.. and please tell these kids to get the hell off my lawn.

() on July 22, 2011, at 12:25AM – #9

Eric and Bert and all of us who have been involved with Art Walk from the beginning all agree on on one thing. Closing the streets during Art Walk would create a far more dangerous environment for everyone.

We would no longer have people walking along the sidewalk, interacting with stores and galleries and restaurants - and other people - but our neighborhood would instead be invaded a huge mob aimlessly milling around in the street.

That would destroy both Art Walk - and destroy the character our neighborhood and seeing. The steady downward spiral of the quality of the Art Walk ever since Bert left it can only be reversed by separating the 'party' aspect - meaning the food trucks and the parking lots filled with vendors and move all those uses just outside of the existing footprint.

That way people who wish to attend both can, this type of dispersal will keep the sidewalks of Spring and Main bopen and accessible for people who want to enjoy the urban neighborhood we have built.

That way the people who want the 'New' Art Walk would be spread out over now empty areas that could use their energy on Art Walk night.

And there is one very simple way to accomplish this. The city just needs to refuse to issue the needed permits to use parking spaces for non-parking uses on Art Walk Day on Spring and Main from 3rd to 7th. And later, also in any area that might become so crowded it could also be dangerous.

This way everyone can attend the Art Walk of their choice and we would have a built-in safety valve to prevent over-crowding. And not only would we solve the overcrowding problem, but we will have created a food truck/parking lot vendor free zone for those who interested in the art galleries and fashion boutiques and bookstores in Historic Downtown.

Downtown should be a diverse area with something for everyone and this can help us achieve that. But closing the streets will only create the type of disaster that no one wants.

Robert A on July 22, 2011, at 06:20AM – #10

Artwalk is good overall...I hate the food trucks so close to the event. Move them north around City Hall. Support our local businesses instead. Don't close off the street. I love streetfairs like they used to have to promote the arts on Sundays on Bunker Hill. Performances, food booths from local restaurants, tours of facilities. Festivals are great...this one needs an overhaul and please bring back more of the "art" in ARTWALK!

DawnC on July 22, 2011, at 08:03AM – #11

I agree with moving the food trucks further out and thus spreading out the footprint. Maybe also take away the street parking in the most congested areas so traffic flows better and people can actually get to their homes.

I have seen a lot more foot traffic on off nights since Art Walk started. I would have never walked alone at night in the historic core when I first moved here but now with all the pedestrian traffic, even during the week, it feels much safer. Many of the local businesses make most of their money during Art Walk and until the rest of the the month balances out, we need the walk so the businesses will stay open and to encourage new businesses to open downtown.

There's got to be a way to make this work for everyone. When you have this much interest every month and much needed dollars spent in the community there's got to be a way to harness it.

The only way I see street closures working is if you also charge admission for non-residents. Kinda like how Sunset Junction works, that would certainly cut down on the crowds but it might also kill the whole thing.

Hillsman Wright on July 22, 2011, at 08:15AM – #12

Closing the streets is not the way to go for all the reasons shared above. It is definitely time to disperse the crowds and expand the event to adjacent areas. Broadway comes immediately to mind given the arrival of new businesses and Grand Central Market's experiment with remaining open late enough to feed some of the Art Walkers in an unusual urban setting. Clifton's Cafeteria, the newly restored Palace, the Orpheum and the Million Dollar would provide excellent venues for off-street performances or arts-related programming. Even the current retail offerings on the street provide unique merchandise and surprising bargains-the tube sock canard notwithstanding. The Broadway Spring Arcade was programmed with innovative events some time ago with excellent results. Perhaps a collaboration among DAW leadership,DLANC Councilmember Huizar and Bringing Back Broadway would yield quick results. New folks on Broadway would be a great boost to the ongoing efforts to revive the street.

Kim Cooper on July 22, 2011, at 08:16AM – #13

Brady Westwater refers to "The steady downward spiral of the quality of the Art Walk ever since Bert [Green] left it…"

Brady's statement attempts to rewrite the history of the Art Walk by ignoring the period during the Art Walk's history when a team of highly committed volunteers were devoting significant energy to exploring the problem space of the event and implementing goals and objectives identified in a 6-month transition period with founder Bert Green for real and substantive solutions for improving the experience for downtown residents, galleries and attendees.

It was months after Bert Green left the Art Walk that the non-profit board voted in its 18-page "making the case" document, which for unknown reasons the Art Walk has removed from its website and failed to discuss or act upon since November 2009. But this is a document that belongs to the community, and which still presents a viable plan for getting the Art Walk back on track. A link is below.

From January through November 2009, my husband Richard Schave and I volunteered full-time to put the Art Walk into a non-profit, and turn something which was in danger of turning into the out-of-control street party it has become into a mature arts-focused event.

Unfortunately, Bert Green and now-ex-DLANC President Russell Brown decided that they did not want the Art Walk to grow in the direction that the new non-profit proposed. So they conspired, with others in the downtown community, to smear Richard's and my reputation through false claims of incompetence. It became literally impossible for us to do our work, and eventually, we had no choice but to resign from the management of the Art Walk.

This nasty history is all well documented both on this blog and elsewhere online (see link below) and led to the front page headline in the Garment and Citizen newspaper "DONE Boss Says System ‘Very Weak’ as Grievance Reveals DLANC Ethics Gap."

The downward spiral came only after Richard and I were forced out of the management of Art Walk.

Bert Green and Brady Westwater are entitled to their opinions, but since they were both actively involved with creating the situation that sent Art Walk down the rapids without a competent leader, I think the community should consider the source when reading comment threads.

We put the Art Walk into a non-profit to create a structure by which it could foster positive social change. In the winter of 2008, Bert Green made it very clear that he wanted to shut the Art Walk down, because he was no longer interested in what it had become. He ultimately asked my husband to take over management of the Art Walk, and Richard agreed, but only if the entity became a non-profit. This was a structure that was selected explicitly to protect Art Walk from the peaks and valleys of individual management -- individuals get sick, get burned out, get overwhelmed. The management of Art Walk as a non-profit is meant to be a process. And the process works, which is why, when Jay Lopez, the non-profit's second director, hijacked the Art Walk website last September and announced the cancellation of the event, the board was able to reclaim its intellectual property and continue managing the event, as is its mission.

It is my sincere hope that Art Walk board can take this great gift that the community has given it, the stewardship of this extraordinary event, and do the hard work needed to make Art Walk safe and meaningful for the thousands of citizens who care about it.

Kim Cooper on July 22, 2011, at 08:33AM – #14

Hillsman, thank you for mentioning the programming of the Spring Arcade. This was part of the new direction of the Art Walk non-profit in fall 2009, and happily we captured these events on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlneKk_b0WE

We selected the Spring Arcade (and Clifton's Cafeteria) as locus points explicitly to spread the crowds towards the wide expanse of Broadway and public transportation options.

Sandy on July 22, 2011, at 08:39AM – #15

I agree with Eric and like minded that the street closure during the art walk is not the answer. One option might be to have no parking on Spring St. between 4th & 6th this would open the view of the sidewalk and the people.

sunny on July 22, 2011, at 08:52AM – #16

DawnC I disagree with your claim that most businesses make money on this one night. Last Thursday I was at Cabbage Patch at 9:00 and it was deserted. I would be that the only businesses that make money are the bars along Spring. With the influx of food trucks, I doubt the cafes are able to harness most of the revenue.

This event has turned into a huge party a la Mardi Gras and unless something is done to change the scope and location it will indeed drive residents from the Historic core and I for one will be sad to see this. It's gotten especially bad over the past year and I am seriously looking into leaving downtown for good.

The Art Walk committee should take all the pros and cons into consideration and figure out what the mission of Art Walk is and then follow through on a plan to support that mission.

Barney Santos on July 22, 2011, at 08:59AM – #17

solution that might satisfy both needs is close down the outside lanes off of spring street and restrict parking off of that particular street (4th to 8th) from 3pm to finish. That way people who need to get in to the street to get home can drive the middle two to three lanes that are still open and accessible, while the sidewalks are now widened to allow safer foot traffic for pedestrians. This strategy allows people to get home, visitors to drive into paid parking structures, parking structures to make money, and pedestrians to safely walk the expanded sidewalk while not making it into a huge crazy block fest..oh and no more incidents like last weeks since parking would be restricted.......what does everyone think?

Michael Hudson-Medina on July 22, 2011, at 09:31AM – #18

DTLA ArtWalk -- let's all be realistic to what it has become and why so many people travel to Downtown to experience it. The Food Trucks, the DJ's pumping loud music into the streets, and the vendors in the rotating outdoor locations are all STREET FAIR attractions that people love, spreads word of mouth about ArtWalk to their friends, and brings more people each month to the event. If we, the DTLA community wishes to return to the purpose of "ART" in the ArtWalk, I propose eliminating the 3 attractions mentioned above. However, I am in favor of controlling vehicle and pedestrian traffic through well thought out closure of Spring and Main streets from 4th to 6th streets from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. That is just FOUR (4) city blocks and FIVE (5) hours once a month! The Streets within this perimeter should then house the art vendors and street performances like Street Theater and Community Dancing like they have at the Music Center Plaza during Summer. The inconvenience of traffic flow is a small price to pay for a safer ArtWalk. Remember the Arts are comprised of 4 disciplines: Music, Dance, Visual, and Theatre. We have the Visual and the Music going strong. Let's pump up Dance and Theatre in Downtown LA !!!

John Swartz on July 22, 2011, at 09:39AM – #19

I personally think the crowds will keep getting bigger. Closing the streets is an inevitability from a crowd control perspective. I'm not sure what other sign they need than a fatal accident.

downtown vibe on July 22, 2011, at 10:02AM – #20

We need to promote nightlife donwtown LA every night of the week, not just once a month. This would take the risk out of opening a business.

We need to remove the food trucks and the DJs from Artwalk.

And most importantly, we need to remember that People live here.

crystal on July 22, 2011, at 10:10AM – #21

At first I was for closing the streets (live on Spring between 6/7) but after further thought agree that its not the answer. We need to push the boundaries of Art Walk further to other areas. Use Pershing Square, the amphitheater at Medallion, the Theaters and areas near Grand Central Market.

Sunny the reason Cabbage Patch was empty is its 5 block away from the epicenter. All the cafes on Spring are packed, not just the bars. People aren't going to walk that far from the action, but if we move some of the action that way it will trickle down to them and the other places in that area.

I'm ok with the noise on Artwalk, don't take my streets away too so I can't get to my garage.

Rich on July 22, 2011, at 10:21AM – #22

The reason Cabbage Patch isn't busy on Artwalk is because it just opened for dinner business recently and no one knows about it yet.

Anyway, I tend to disagree with the argument that closing the streets will turn it into nothing but a big block party. I also don't see any alternative if, say, the event grows to 5,000 more people... or 10,000... or 15,000. They literally cannot fit on the sidewalks as it is.

But then again, I don't live in the Historic Core anymore, so whatever. No use spinning my tires. I'm not sure what it will take to convince people otherwise. Maybe someone getting pushed off a crowded sidewalk into the path of a bus or a car? Maybe a driver plowing into a group of people walking in the street since there's no more room on the sidewalk?

There's already too many distractions for drivers with music, lights, the dark streets, the police lights, the crowds of people not to mention they're also looking for parking.

I just can't believe that on the one hand, so many of us are arguing for more pedestrian-only events, less auto-intensive uses, yet we're still arguing that 25,000 people in a few blocks is a good idea when mixed with cars. Whatever.

Jamie DeFrisco on July 22, 2011, at 10:26AM – #23

I'm not too sure about closing down the streets. It not only cause an issues for residents, but for those attending.

I do agree that we should find ways to spread it out. It sounds like they tried and it didn't work? Has there ever been anything worthwhile in Pershing Square during Art Walk in the past 2 years? I haven't seen anything promoted there. To me that would seem like a good space to branch out to. It would be nice if the food trucks moved a little further out (although I do like the close proximity for my own convenience).

Cookie on July 22, 2011, at 10:28AM – #24

Move Artwalk to the weekends during the day will elimiate the party scene and the residents will be happier especially the ones that need to work on Friday morning.

Kim Cooper on July 22, 2011, at 10:38AM – #25

Jamie, the efforts to move the crowds away from the historic center of Art Walk through curated programming and directing visitors to Clifton's Cafeteria to get official maps and join walking tours were working very well up until Richard and I resigned from managing the Art Walk in November 2009. The free shuttle service was also a big help.

Unfortunately, subsequent directors failed to capitalize on the work that had been done to decentralize the Art Walk, but I think that a concerted effort to get back on that track would be a great step towards fixing Art Walk's problems.

on July 22, 2011, at 10:43AM – #26

It's incredibly unfortunate and sad that a two-month old child became the victim of an automobile accident. Closing the street however, is not the most rational answer despite the fact that it may appear practical on the surface. There would be a litany of additional problems that surface from closing down traffic in such a lively area.

At the same time though, there definitely needs to be some measure of legitimate crowd/action control implemented or at least deliberated upon for the sake of making sure this type of tragedy never happens again.

D-Town on July 22, 2011, at 10:45AM – #27

Art walk has clearly become too big for its britches and something needs to happen soon. Wider sidewalks are a no-brainer but just won’t happen within the short time frame needed to rectify the situation. Rather than shutting the streets down, I would much prefer to see art walk turn into a bi-monthly event. It would be a quick fix that would bring the attendance back down to manageable numbers—recreating what was once a social, yet intimate event. It would also help distribute the influx in customers to local bars and restaurants throughout the month, allowing them to better serve their clients in a safer, more enjoyable environment while providing a more consistent revenue stream.

Aubrey Torres () on July 22, 2011, at 10:52AM – #28

What happened at last artwalk was completely tragic. I would never want to say that it was anything less than that. However, it was a fluke thing that happened. A horrible fluke accident. I go to artwalk every month and yes I do go to it for the art. I also live in the heart of it as well. Yes there's a ton of people out there and where ever you have a lot of people there will be drama of some sort (this is a given). I'm amazed that as long as artwalk has been going on that more drama or violence or horrible accidents have happened! To say that this tragedy should be the deciding factor to close down the streets is jumping the gun a bit. If you shut down the streets then you have other problems:

1)If something does happen (violence or otherwise) the ability to respond via police/security makes it a lot harder to respond to the scene because they'll have to cut through a mob of people. If, God forbid someone got shot or stabbed the area would be mayhem if the streets were closed off to foot traffic and the situation could be escalated even worse as a mass of people is an easier target to kill someone.

2) More people in a concentrated area equals much MUCH more noise. Not that I have a problem with the noise at all. I enjoy the nightlife and grew up in New York so metropolitan soundscapes are very much the norm for me. But for those wanting the streets to be shut down and live in the Historic core...you can bet it will raise the decibels.

With just these two factors you can see that it's not so cut and dry to find a better way. I do however like the idea of not having parking at all (but still driving) on those areas but I think that would also mean changing the hours of operation for meters (in the surrounding areas or areas where you can park for free outside the historic core area since many free areas to park become no park zones after 9. A little walking to the area from where you park wouldn't be such a bad thing (It is called Art Walk after all). This would also encourage seeing the businesses around the area that you might not notice if you only stay in the area.

If I may also say one thing about the food trucks. I love that they're there. The fact that you can eat a small bite and quickly get on your way to the Art walk is fantastic. I know there are haters out there that think that the Art walk has become mostly about the food trucks. Think about this for a moment. It is a little drama to get yourself to Art walk to park and then enjoy the night. Do you really think that people would put themselves through that for a food truck? Highly doubtful. It's good business and it satisfies a need to maximize the time walking through Art Walk. I know some might say that it takes away from the surrounding businesses but those places are always filled on Artwalk nights AND having an elaborate sitdown meal on artwalk means less art being seen.

A final note, people who are looking for the negative in Art Walk will always find it. Weather it's young kids who might be drunk and causing a little bit of trouble, people being noisy or just the fact that it's not about the art any more. There will always be people who continue to come for their own reasons in the end. I go to Art Walk for the art. Shocking to some I even buy art during Art Walk on occasion (maybe the shocking factor is because I'm still relatively young, just turned 32). I can say that this is thanks to the exposure of more art and desire to support the artistic community we have here (and in the process get some killer pieces for my home). All this is to say that no one including myself can say why people (majority or minority) come to artwalk or what it has become about. The only way you'll found out is by taking a serious poll and even then you'll only know what that demographic means on that day. People will still come to Art Walk for their own reasons. Speaking as one who goes to every Art Walk, what I see is people walking, enjoying the art, listening to music, eating food, having a good time and sometimes even made to stop and think about what they're seeing. I think it could be safer sure but what we have at the moment seems to be working pretty good (seriously the track record is pretty amazing). I know it's going to continue to get bigger but I also think where exactly art is viewed in downtown will also expand and so the area will grow with the congestion and so it won't be that bad. Art Walk is a good time, it can be a noisy time but it's always only for a few hours each month.

Will Wright () on July 22, 2011, at 12:07PM – #29

Streets are for people, not machines. Close Spring St. between 2nd and 9th every Sunday (except to local traffic that may need to access a parking garage). For every other day of the week Spring Street should be a shared street- a common space to be shared by pedestrians, bicyclists, and low-speed motor vehicles.

We compromise so much when we dedicate excessive amounts of vital space to the automobile. Culturally, we simply cannot afford to do that anymore and I refuse to continue supporting a compromised lifestyle for Downtown LA.

Furthermore, the tragedy last Thursday had nothing to do with Art Walk. It didn't even have anything to do with crowded sidewalks. It was a terrible accident caused by someone driving an automobile - one of the deadliest machines that we've allowed to encroach the fringes of our humanity.

Alexandra Leh on July 22, 2011, at 12:43PM – #30

Eric, as a DTLA resident for over 6 years, I'm with you on this 100%. The "Art Walk" has gotten out of hand, and this infant's tragic death was a heartbreaking and crucial reminder that the issue is larger and more complex than whether or not there's enough room in the streets for a monthly party.

We must find a balance between destination and community. For the most part, bars and restaurants are intended to create a destination for everyone -- but, as it now appears to many of us who live here, they've been established and operated mostly for those who don't. Homes and parks and diners and coffeehouses and galleries and shops -- places like The Last Bookstore, 2 Bits Market, Nickel Diner, Coffeebar, our three fine pet establishments, even 2012's Target -- are what comprise true community. Which group is valuable to the renaissance of DTLA as a living, breathing community? Both, of course. But those of us who intrepidly inhabit this still-polarized, but burgeoning, corner of Los Angeles every day and night, who have staked our lives here, who make a daily commitment to the neighborhood -- we have planted roots in the interest of growing a real community for ourselves and our neighbors. Those who come to visit are invited to share in the growing bounty, but absolutely NOT to the disrespectful detriment of our comfort and -- more important -- safety. The growth I've observed since moving down here from Mt. Washington in 2005 has been random, at best, and this tragedy is but one result of that lack of forethought. Downtown LA is trying to evolve and establish as something other than a seedy industrial environment...like NYC's Soho, Tribeca and Nolita, we can do it, but we desperately need, and deserve, a whole and workable vision for our evolution.

I'm no hothouse flower, but a native New Yorker, raised as a baby, child and young adult in midtown Manhattan. And I have never felt as unsafe in that most urban of environments as I do on Downtown Los Angeles "Art Walk" nights.

There is a very different, and critical, sensibility required to live, sleep, work, play, walk and drive in such close proximity to each other...we have an unspoken, intuitive responsibility, not just to ourselves and our best interests, but to each other. That takes conscious participation and planning, and I believe that, until such a plan is created -- by a balanced combination of city government, law enforcement, business owners, and residents -- the "Art Walk" in its current format should be suspended.

Brian Tompkins on July 22, 2011, at 03:47PM – #31

What about just closing the parking spaces on Spring and Main? This would create a buffer between sidewalks and auto traffic. Also, I agree with the idea of doing a completely different event. I know there is talk about doing a weekend/daytime/quarterly event. That might be good. At one time there was also a fashion walk, that wasn't a bad idea, just didn't really take off. What about a food event? Obviously Angelenos are all about the food and drink. Why not split that part out into a separate event? Also could we reduce speeds on all streets around the historic core? I've read that DTLA is a textbook example of how a section of a city becomes a thoroughfare rather than a destination. This is obvious from how recklessly people drive through downtown, even police. How many times have you seen police pull up to a red light and pull right into the crosswalk while people are crossing. And why not? Everyone does it. Nobody actually lives downtown, right?

Kim Cooper on July 22, 2011, at 06:29PM – #32

Art Walk director Joe Moller has told the Spanish-language newspaper HOY (this via Google's translation engine): "The Art Walk was not involved in anything related to this incident. It was a person who pressed the wrong pedal. Neither the driver nor the child's parents have indicated that they were there attending the Art Walk."

Oscar on July 22, 2011, at 10:38PM – #33

Artwalk of today is a money generator for people that has nothing to do with art nor they care for it, that is what is making it grow and that is why nobody is going to shut it down, unfortunately America has become a capital-imperialistic whore where money matters more than anything else.

As much as I hate to say this I think is time for the city to capitalize on it by having the LAPD and LADOT just ticket everybody in order to soften the crowds, the dark side of it is that once you create a new revenue for the city is just like an addict that needs more and more.

And yes wishing to have the streets closed is nice and all but who is goin to pay for it? The city, wait for a second while I piss on my pants as I laugh, maybe the idealists that are signing the petition should put their money where their mouth is, haha the facebook generation if everything was just as easy as that...

Victor Wilde on July 25, 2011, at 01:26PM – #34

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/ I have lived in this neighborhood since 2003. I have seen it all.Unlike others I do not claim to be an "expert", but I know what I see and I know what is right. Say what you will. Call me what you like. But I believe closing the streets for a street fair is appropriate. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/artwalk/

on July 26, 2011, at 10:33AM – #35

Conspicuously absent from the conversation: Joe Moller and the Artwalk Board.

Kim Cooper on July 26, 2011, at 12:00PM – #36

Rumor is that Joe Moller and the Art Walk Board have been holding private meetings with politicians (Jan Perry), property owners (via Russell Brown of the HDBID) and police about how to handle the problems facing Art Walk.

These are the same entities that have been talking privately for years, and have consistently failed to manage the crowds, or do much of anything except publish a map and build a social media platform where critical voices are censored.

Joe Moller did tell Matthew Fleischer of KCET that Art Walk will not be closing streets because the non-profit cannot afford to pay for it. This raises the question of why this incredibly popular event has made no effort over the past two years to secure meaningful corporate sponsorship, something that it could easily obtain.

The August Art Walk is 16 days away, and I really hope the Art Walk Board quickly begins the essential process of reaching out to the wider community and actual experts, listening to concerns, and offering a transparent view of how they intend to make Art Walk safe and meaningful for the thousands of Angelenos who care.

Alexandra Leh on July 26, 2011, at 05:53PM – #37

can anyone tell me why these are closed meetings, and why DTLA residents -- particularly those who live within the area of spring & main between 4th & 7th -- are not invited to participate?

Lollie Shan on July 27, 2011, at 06:00PM – #38

I've lived in Downtown for nearly five years, and I do think it's a bad idea to close the street. Why not just post 'no parking' signs from 3rd. to 7th. street as they do on Main St. I'm sad about the accident, but that's just it, it was a freak accident,it could have happen with four people on the street, or forty people. What would be nice is if the food trucks, and vendors would pick another day to 'carpetbag' their way into an already established party. They need to come up with their own festival, instead of glamming onto Art Walk. If I had been on the board back when they first appeared I would have tried to present a motion to ban them. Once someone else defines your event, its over, period. What Art Walk once was, it is no more, and how you bring it back to the cozy neighborhood cultural event, I do not know.

Glenn Primm on July 27, 2011, at 09:29PM – #39

Allow me to quote Jay Walljasper, of OurWorld 2.0:

I am perplexed by the almost complete lack of pedestrian streets in North America. Why is it that car-free commons — designed for pleasurable strolling, shopping and hanging out — which have become as typical as stoplights or McDonalds in European city centers, are almost non-existent here?

Look what we’re missing. The heart of many, if not most, German, Italian, Dutch, Scandinavian and, increasingly, South American big cities are bustling pedestrian zones that have become favorite spots for young people to gather, lovers to linger, kids to romp, women to show off their new clothes (and discreetly admire the looks of passers-by), men to admire the looks of passers-by (and discreetly show-off their new clothes) and everybody to feel part of the wider community. This is the urban commons at its best.

Our one widespread experiment in reclaiming the streets — the downtown transit malls of the ‘60s and ‘70s — failed in most cases. That’s because they were usually desperate measures to cure sickly downtown shopping districts overwhelmed by competition from shopping malls proliferating across the suburban landscape.

Another factor in transit malls’ rapid rise and fall is that they were not actually pedestrian places — big buses rumbling up and down the avenue quashed the carefree, car-free ambience that fosters exuberant street life.

Don’t underestimate what can arise from these small beginnings. Even a short stretch of car-free pavement empowers peds to realize the road belongs to them too. Jan Gehl , the influential Danish urban designer who applies lessons learned in creating Copenhagen’s famous pedestrian district to cities around the globe, counsels people to start small and add to it bit by bit through the years.

Another hopeful trend is the emergence of ciclovias — when a road is closed to traffic for a few hours so people can take over the streets for merriment. This bright idea was pioneered in Colombia, where networks of city streets are closed most Sunday mornings, with as many as a million people flooding the streets in Bogota on a sunny day. The tradition is now migrating north, with El Paso, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Ottawa, Ontario among the cities holding regular events. Minneapolis held it’s first earlier this month. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to walk and cycle right down the middle of what’s usually a busy street.

~http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/wanted-car-free-north-american-urban-commons/

Josh Gray-Emmer on July 28, 2011, at 06:26PM – #40

Street closures between 4th and 7th on Spring alone would cost 40K per week. Ms. Cooper is mistaken if she thinks that kind of money is readily available from corporate sponsors. She was on the board for quite a while and raised next to nothing. She should know better.

Closing one lane on each side won't work because it requires even more money than a street closure (you need barriers to keep pedestrians safe from the cars whizzing right by them).

In addition, Artwalk's board has raised 250K over the last year which gets spent on policing and security. Joe Moller is by far the best Artwalk president we have had yet.

It's a shame that some people who are commenting on here OVER and OVER and OVER again seem to just be bitter and not at all providing positive feedback at all.

Kim Cooper on July 28, 2011, at 07:01PM – #41

Josh, your statements about my activity on the Art Walk board are entirely incorrect. I was on the board for a very short time (two board meetings), and money was actively being raised (by another volunteer, from local business sponsors) on my watch.

Since you seem so well informed about the workings of Art Walk, perhaps you can explain to the community how much of the quarter of a million dollars from the landlords of the historic core is being funneled through the Art Walk to pay the HDBID's security crew? Last I heard, LAPD volunteered their time at the event, so when you say "policing and security" I wonder what you are referring to.

$250,000 divided by 12 Art Walks is about $20,000 a month, but presumably Mr. Moller is also paid for his work.

Since as of last year the Art Walk had yet to raise enough money to be required to file a 990 IRS tax form, all of these numbers are quite mysterious. I think a lot of people would like to know from which sources the non-profit is getting their money and how they are spending it.