Urban planning policy analyst Joan Ling, an adjunct professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, takes part in a Zócalo Public Square discussion at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 23. "Can Transit Make Housing More Affordable?," moderated by Curbed LA editor Adrian Glick Kudler, will also feature Tony Salazar, president of West Coast operations for developer McCormack Baron Salazar, Calvin Hollis, Metro managing executive officer for countywide planning and development; and L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin.
Rising Los Angeles real estate prices are squeezing low- and middle-income residents, who spend an estimated 40 percent of their annual income on housing. Gentrification has become a hot-button issue across the region, and many of the neighborhoods that are in transition – such as Highland Park and Boyle Heights on the Gold Line – are along the paths of newly built or expanded public transit. Credit for the explosion of the real estate market in downtown L.A. belongs in part to its bus and rail lines, which attract a younger generation of Angelenos to work, live and play there.
But can transit also play a role in creating more affordable housing? In cities such as Seattle, Miami and Denver, planners, government agencies and developers are working together on creating “transit-oriented development” that aim to both boost ridership on bus and rail lines while building more affordable housing nearby. And in Los Angeles, private and public organizations are partnering on redevelopment near new transit lines in order to ensure that long-time residents don’t get priced out even as areas grow more dense and new retail and housing come in.
The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. Parking is available for $9 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall garage. Find more information and make a reservation here.
