Santa Monica Next
Streetsblog California
Can We Cool It with the Ballot Box Planning Measures Already?
With defeats of Measures S and LV, voters have rejected the myth that the problems of urban planning can be solved with a simple yes-or-no vote at the ballot box
March 8, 2017
State Legislators Put California’s Housing Crisis in the Crosshairs
At a press conference in San Francisco Friday, state legislators announced their plans to tackle California’s growing housing crisis.
March 7, 2017
Santa Monica Lawmaker Introduces Bill to End Statewide Rent Control Limitations
Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) introduced a bill that would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, the 1995 state law that weakened the strictest rent control laws in the state. The law required cities to allow property owners to raise rents on units when they were vacated, a practice that had been prohibited by strict rent control laws in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Berkeley, Cotati, and East Palo Alto.
February 23, 2017
Governor Brown to City Governments: It’s On You to Make California Affordable Again
Governor Brown's budget proposal explicitly states that money for affordable housing will not come out of the State’s General Fund and no new funding sources will be available without significant reform to local laws that currently stand in the way of housing growth
January 12, 2017
Lack of Housing Growth Compounding Inequality, Says CA Housing Dept.
Housing affordability in California is the worst it has been in state history according to a report from the CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development. The affordability crisis is due to a dire housing shortage and an overall failure of CA cities to allow enough new housing growth to absorb growing demand.
January 6, 2017
Bloom Tapped to Head Budget Subcommittee on Sustainability and Transportation
For the fourth year in a row, Santa Monica Assembly representative Richard Bloom will chair the State Assembly’s budget subcommittee that oversees spending on pressing environmental issues such as transportation and greenhouse gas reductions.
December 29, 2016
Santa Monica To Open Real-Time Bike Traffic Counter on Main Street
Santa Monica tomorrow will join the ranks of cities using real-time information to encourage biking, through installation of an automated bike counter located at Main Street just south of Colorado Avenue. The official ribbon cutting will be tomorrow-Wednesday at noon.
December 21, 2016
CycleHop Plans Regional System for All Their SoCal Bike Shares
Santa Monica’s launch of its bike sharing program last year did more than just provide an environmentally friendly way to get around the city. It set in motion a shift in thinking throughout the Los Angeles region as many other communities followed Santa Monica’s lead and added their own public bike rental programs.
October 3, 2016
Eyes on the Street: Santa Monica Gets Creative with Its Crosswalks
Last night, the City of Santa Monica painted the first of its "creative crosswalks" designed to improve both safety and fun for people walking across the street. Last night's painting was at the intersection of Ocean and Broadway. A second installation is planned for Arizona and Second Street tonight.
September 13, 2016
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: NIMBYs Oppose Neighborhood Childcare Center
This was originally posted at Santa Monica Next.
September 6, 2016