2018 proved to be a hard year for the City of Angels. From devastating fires, the escalating housing crisis, and well, politics in general.
No need to worry Angelenos, We have a very bright future. The New Year continue to offer Los Angeles the role as the best place in the world to live. Here are some things to get excited about!
1. The Music Center Plaza reopens
Completely renovated by Rios Clementi Hale Studios by spending $40 million the sweeping midcentury plaza between the Mark Taper Forum and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion will be thrown open to the public after welcoming a restaurant and wine bar, more seating capacity and much required public restrooms.
2. Big Bus Plan by Metro
Metro’s next-gen bus study aims to make improvements in the region’s bus network. The 18-month study to completely overhaul the bus network followed by 10 community meetings going to be held between January and February to make some major changes by the end of the year.
3. A new bridge over the LA River
You can see a construction process on the bridge underway over the Los Angeles River. This construction will help horses, cyclists and pedestrians get from Atwater Village to Griffith Park without any hassle. It is the first among the three new pedestrian bridges which are planned especially for the river.
The next pedestrian bridge is an Elysian Valley Cypress Park which is not constructed yet. Another bridge will connect Glendale to Griffith Park. Finally, the third is Sixth Street Viaduct that connects the Arts district to Boyle Heights. It will open till next year!
4. Budget-friendly housing close to Transit
By the transit-oriented communities program, more than nine thousand units have been approved. This provides incentives to the developers for constructing the building within less than one mile of transit stops. Even 20% of those units are specifically for low-income families. Moreover, now, a new approved Expo Line plan has been introduced according to which builders can add more population close to 5 light-rail stations.
5. Yes, Los Angeles Finally Address Its Tree Problem
To be honest, the tree situation in Los Angeles is in severe trouble. In late 2018, the city took its “first step” for its urgently required urban forest management plan. Also there was a posting as an “emergency” job for a citywide forest officer. Even the city officers are paying special attention to various problems like the 14 ficuses slated to be chopped down. The credit goes to the City Councilmember David Ryu who urges to keep the mature trees while mending the sidewalks.
