Design and Architecture

In the past year, residents of both the city and county of Los Angeles voted to tax themselves to pay for more housing for the homeless, and for the services needed to keep them in those homes. Local elected officials say those extra dollars couldn't come at a better time. Homelessness is up 23 percent in LA when compared to last year. So what's being built right now, and what's coming down the line?

Los Angeles-based electric bus manufacturing companies aim to meet a growing demand for emission-free urban transit. And it's one thing to design a building, but it's another thing to build it. We pay tribute to the late Paul Matt, the construction giant who realized many Southern California landmarks.

For Swedish automaker Volvo, the combustible engine in a thing of the past. Beginning in 2019 all of the new car models it introduces will be fully electric or hybrids. It's the first major traditional automaker to set a concrete date for phasing out combustion-engine-only models. The trend, however, isn't limited to just car companies. There is a boom in electric bus manufacturers in the U.S. as well, including right here in Southern California.

The Fourth of July holiday is a great time to crank up the music and hit the beach. Henry Rollins likes his punk played on a perfect sound system, which he shows us on a tour of his home. And we hear about the enduring tradition of innovative surf design in Santa Barbara. We also mark Independence Day with a look at the new Freedom Sculpture in Century City. Designed by engineer-artist Cecil Balmond, it draws inspiration from the ancient Persian king Cyrus.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has been ousted from the company he created. Was this the best way to address the negatives of a highly creative entrepreneur? "Serial entrepreneur" Z Holly and another controversial business leader -- American Apparel's Dov Charney - weigh in.

The tallest building west of the Mississippi River will officially open for business on Friday. The Wilshire Grand Center has been years in the making. It rises 73 stories, or 1,100 feet with its spire at the top, and includes a near-900 room InterContinental Hotel. And its architecture tells the story of a changing Los Angeles.

London's Grenfell Tower fire shows what can go wrong when a high rise building is not designed or retrofitted in accordance with fire and safety needs. Are artists the victims or perpetrators of gentrification? A downtown luxury apartment building will have an "artist-in-residence." Plus, the new private animal shelter PetSpace offers a high-design venue for adopting your new four-legged friend.