public policy

In a city famous for traffic jams and rush-hour gridlock, a return to rail may be putting Los Angeles on the right track.

Sixty-two percent of California voters said access to coastal areas is a problem, and even more said that they were deterred by the cost of parking, overnight accommodations and transportation options.

A team from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is helping to steer California’s high-speed rail project in a healthy direction.

Three students from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs are gaining real-world experience this year as David Bohnett Fellows working in the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti at L.A. City Hall.

The study is released as the United Nations marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Research co-authored by UCLA professor Mark Kaplan attempted to explain how different aspects of an economic downturn affect suicide rates and alcohol-related suicides in particular.

The codirector of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA notes that students who participate in a good bilingual program perform better in English.

Education hasn’t done enough, the experts say, so penalizing behavior via taxes might work better to get people to stop drinking the empty calories.

The Democratic political theorist studies the growing role of cities in local and global governance and in the revival of democracy.

Although prostitution has been studied by various social scientists, the “world’s oldest profession” has received less attention from economists. But that’s changing.

A new toolkit created by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation is designed to help communities navigate paths to improving the areas immediately around the river.

Join the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the Friends of the Los Angeles River to hear from experts about creating a river greenway. Followed by live music.

Partners not earning much money are likely to struggle because they face challenges outside of their marriage, not communication within their marriage.

UCLA researchers say that given the dominance of public spending in health care, a single-payer system might be more feasible than previously thought.

Law professor Jill Horwitz discusses the high rate of opioid addiction, and analyzes the ineffective state laws that have tried to curb the pervasive disease.

Professor Jonathan Fielding writes that without the necessary funds, fighting Zika, Ebola and other infectious diseases is a losing battle.

UCLA and Inter-American Development Bank study finds progress toward universal health coverage, but persistent gaps in how citizens assess the quality and effectiveness of primary care.

Dr. Bartly Mondino of the Jules Stein Eye Institute writes that a proposal in the state legislature to permit optometrists to perform eye surgeries risks far too much harm.

UCLA’s Dr. Jonathan Fielding chaired panel whose report called for increased coordination both within the Department of Health and Human Services and across federal agencies.

As Americans struggle with obesity and diabetes, UC researchers say that new nutrition labels could help consumers change their shopping choices and ultimately their diets.

UCLA researchers conducted the most comprehensive global study to date of constitutional protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Prescription drug monitoring programs and laws aimed at preventing opioid abuse are not doing much to stem this growing threat to public health.

The L.A. Energy Atlas project, a first-of-its-kind interactive website, enables policymakers and the public to sort energy consumption and emissions by building size, neighborhood and other metrics.

Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board and a UCLA faculty member, is a fierce fighter for the environment. She has championed a difficult cause without succumbing to bitterness or wallowing in the polarization that has crippled Sacramento and Washington.

Law professor Adam Winkler writes that it’s time for Congress to pass a law that safeguards due process and forbids suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms.