Zócalo Public Square

Los Angeles has been talking about ending homelessness for years. But the problem has only been getting worse: In the past two years, the homeless population has jumped 12 percent. At an event co-presented by UCLA and Zócalo and moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, four panelists--L.A. County Housing for Health director Marc Trotz, UCLA psychiatrist Kenneth Wells, Ocean Park Community Center executive director John Maceri, and Christine Margiotta, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs alumna and vice president of community impact at United Way of Greater Los Angeles--discussed the conditions that continue to force people on the streets, and the actions that can be taken to prevent them.

Every year, Los Angeles needs more than 4,000 affordable new homes to accommodate low-income residents, but builds only 1,000 -- and loses 3,000. One solution to keeping life affordable in L.A., and the many cities across America following the same trend, may be transportation. At a discussion co-presented by Metro and moderated by Curbed L.A. editor Adrian Glick Kudler, four panelists -urban planning policy analyst Joan Ling, developer Tony Salazar, L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, and Metro managing executive officer for countywide planning & development Calvin Hollis -- considered ways new transit projects can connect people to jobs and make city living less expensive.

Los Angeles isn’t fantasizing when it calls itself America’s creative capital: 355,000 jobs are directly tied to the city’s creative industries, and 620,000 jobs are related in some way. But just because creativity is one of Los Angeles’ defining features doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be defended. Economist and principal contributor of the Otis Report on the Creative Economy Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural affairs general manager Danielle Brazell, and Maker City L.A. co-founder Sharon Ann Lee joined moderator Lisa Fung, the founding editor of the "Los Angeles Times Culture Monster," in a panel sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs on what Los Angeles needs to do to hold onto its creative edge.

Every year, Los Angeles needs more than 4,000 affordable new homes to accommodate low-income residents, but builds only 1,000 -- and loses 3,000. One solution to keeping life affordable in L.A., and the many cities across America following the same trend, may be transportation. At a discussion co-presented by Metro and moderated by Curbed L.A. editor Adrian Glick Kudler, four panelists -urban planning policy analyst Joan Ling, developer Tony Salazar, L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, and Metro managing executive officer for countywide planning & development Calvin Hollis -- considered ways new transit projects can connect people to jobs and make city living less expensive.

Los Angeles isn’t fantasizing when it calls itself America’s creative capital: 355,000 jobs are directly tied to the city’s creative industries, and 620,000 jobs are related in some way. But just because creativity is one of Los Angeles’ defining features doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be defended. Economist and principal contributor of the Otis Report on the Creative Economy Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural affairs general manager Danielle Brazell, and Maker City L.A. co-founder Sharon Ann Lee joined moderator Lisa Fung, the founding editor of the "Los Angeles Times Culture Monster," in a panel sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs on what Los Angeles needs to do to hold onto its creative edge.

The term gentrification can be a catch-all word to characterize the arrival of hipsters, widely available wi-fi, and whites moving into neighborhoods of color. But at a Thinking L.A. event co-presented by UCLA and moderated by KCRW news producer Saul Gonzalez, a panel of Angelenos who study and work to improve the city -- Urban Planner Gilda Haas, Former City Planning Commissioner Maria Cabildo, UCLA cityLAB director Dana Cuff, and western region director of The Actors Fund Keith McNutt -- tried to hone in on how gentrification plays out on the ground, and how best to manage the forces that are rapidly transforming neighborhoods like Highland Park and Lincoln Heights.

The term gentrification can be a catch-all word to characterize the arrival of hipsters, widely available wi-fi, and whites moving into neighborhoods of color. But at a Thinking L.A. event co-presented by UCLA and moderated by KCRW news producer Saul Gonzalez, a panel of Angelenos who study and work to improve the city -- Urban Planner Gilda Haas, Former City Planning Commissioner Maria Cabildo, UCLA cityLAB director Dana Cuff, and western region director of The Actors Fund Keith McNutt -- tried to hone in on how gentrification plays out on the ground, and how best to manage the forces that are rapidly transforming neighborhoods like Highland Park and Lincoln Heights.

Arizona and Mexico, separated at birth? Panelists at a Zócalo/Azteca event Phoenix didn’t go that far, but in a conversation moderated by New York Times Phoenix bureau chief Fernanda Santos about Mexico’s economic rise and the opportunities it creates for Arizona and the U.S. Southwest, it became apparent that Arizona and Mexico have a lot in common--including bad reputations that represent significant barriers to achieving greater prosperity together. The three panelists--two from Arizona (Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and former Arizona-Mexico Commission executive director Margie A. Emmermann) and one from Mexico (Signum Research CEO and economist Héctor Romero) took pains to dispel those reputations.

Arizona and Mexico, separated at birth? Panelists at a Zócalo/Azteca event Phoenix didn’t go that far, but in a conversation moderated by New York Times Phoenix bureau chief Fernanda Santos about Mexico’s economic rise and the opportunities it creates for Arizona and the U.S. Southwest, it became apparent that Arizona and Mexico have a lot in common--including bad reputations that represent significant barriers to achieving greater prosperity together. The three panelists--two from Arizona (Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and former Arizona-Mexico Commission executive director Margie A. Emmermann) and one from Mexico (Signum Research CEO and economist Héctor Romero) took pains to dispel those reputations.

Arizona and Mexico, separated at birth? Panelists at a Zócalo/Azteca event Phoenix didn’t go that far, but in a conversation moderated by New York Times Phoenix bureau chief Fernanda Santos about Mexico’s economic rise and the opportunities it creates for Arizona and the U.S. Southwest, it became apparent that Arizona and Mexico have a lot in common--including bad reputations that represent significant barriers to achieving greater prosperity together. The three panelists--two from Arizona (Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and former Arizona-Mexico Commission executive director Margie A. Emmermann) and one from Mexico (Signum Research CEO and economist Héctor Romero) took pains to dispel those reputations.