From the Newsroom

Everyday

NPR Looks at Development's Effect on the Homeless

By Eric Richardson — September 28, 2005
3 Comments

A post to newdowntown this morning alerted me to a piece from Morning Edition looking at the effect on Downtown development on the homeless. I think my reaction is pretty similar to this one from Atlas Blogged: It’s not that I don’t give a damn about the homeless, but the whole tone of the story blew me away. Urban renewal is GOOD, people. It’...


Everyday

Looking South: Coliseum Parking and Web Site

By Eric Richardson — September 26, 2005

Two things take my coverage here a little farther south this morning than I would usually let this site roam. Both involve the Coliseum. First, today the Times ran a story about a plan to use $25mil in redevelopment money for street and parking improvements. Without knowing much of the particulars about what other ramifications the extension of the Hoover Redevelopment...


Everyday

Antiwar March Makes Its Way Through Downtown

By Eric Richardson — September 24, 2005
2 Comments

Downtown LA Antiwar Protest March

If you’re Downtown this afternoon, you way well have already realized that the antiwar protest march just made its way through. I was sitting in my apartment and heard them making their way down Broadway, so I figured I might as well go out and grab a few pictures. The march seemed decently attended. I caught the front making the turn onto 4th and came...


Everyday

Man Released from Jail: Everyday Occurance; Sheriff Takes Man Across Downtown: Times Runs Story

By Eric Richardson — September 23, 2005

Not at all to say that this isn’t a real problem, but didn’t today’s LA Times story on Sheriff’s deputies dropping a man off on Skid Row pick a poor way to illustate the point? For decades, it’s been an enduring urban tale about downtown Los Angeles, often talked about but never proved: Police departments wanting to get rid of...


Everyday

Taking Love of Animals a Bit Too Far

By Eric Richardson — September 22, 2005

LA Observed points to a CityBeat article saying that the Animal Liberation Front was responsible for smoke bombing at the Bunker Hill Towers Apartments this past Friday. The group was targetting LA Animal Services General Manager Guerdon Stuckey, who wasn’t at home. You would think that would be an observable detail if you’re going to go through the...


Everyday

Dealing With the Slope of Downtown

By Eric Richardson — September 21, 2005
1 Comment

Grand Ave. EIR Scoping Meeting

I went to the first few minutes of the Grand Avenue EIR Scoping Meeting yesterday. I listened to the first project presentation, and then left to go to my Arts Committee meeting. Something interested me, though, in pictures of the project plans. In particular, this picture or one quite like it. I’m fascinated to see how they approach the upper and lower...


Everyday

Union Station Suitcase Scare

By Eric Richardson — September 21, 2005

A wire story this morning says that Union Station was shut down for 45 minutes while authorities checked out a suitcase left on a bus. That is what it is, but I found this bit of the story amusing: Buses were rerouted to a nearby terminal and trains on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Red and Gold lines were directed to bypass the station,...


Everyday

New Parking Technologies Getting Closer

By Eric Richardson — September 20, 2005
3 Comments

The LA Times today runs a piece talking about high-tech parking meters being trialed in the LA area. I mentioned back in March that the CRA parking study is watching trials currently being done in Pasadena and West Hollywood. Downtown is a war-zone for parking meters, and it’s been well-documented that the city doesn’t get all the revenue it should...


Everyday

The Fun of Bus Riding

By Eric Richardson — September 19, 2005
4 Comments

Waiting for the Bus

One of the reasons I’ve started riding my bike a lot more is that riding the bus can be pretty frustrating. Tonight I thought I’d be lazy since I already biked quite a bit this morning, so I walked over to 6th and Hill around 5:35. I wanted to catch an 81 down to USC. Roughly they run every 10 - 12 minutes at this time of day and take 12 - 13 minutes...


Everyday

Janice Hahn Wants to Know What's Up With the LA Mall

By Eric Richardson — September 19, 2005
3 Comments

The LA Mall is a a weird place. Walking down there, especially at an off peak time, you feel a little like you’ve been transported back to the 1970’s. Of course that was when the place was developed, so perhaps there’s a reason. In any case, Janice Hahn wants to know why nothing’s come of past talk about turning the Mall into something...