Please consider joining Move LA’s “Zoomposium” TOMORROW (July 16) at 3 p.m. for a conversation with local leaders about a program we believe will help address our long-time need for affordable housing in transit-served, walkable, bikeable neighborhoods in LA County.

We are suggesting this could happen in places that haven’t been seriously considered before—underutilized stretches of the county’s many commercial boulevards. 

Identifying appropriate sites for development is a major challenge to constructing new housing. Finding land along these urban boulevards would mean we wouldn’t need to upzone residential neighborhoods for more development and would also help avoid displacement. 

UrbanFootprint co-founders Peter Calthorpe and Joe DiStefano will use their urban planning software to show us the possibilities along what we are calling Boulevards of Equity and Opportunity (read more about this on our blog). Email [email protected] if you have questions. Register HERE.

We are suggesting this be done in funding partnership with cities, the county and the state, and with the help of infrastructure financing districts that will operate in a way similar to community redevelopment, which no longer exists. 

Moreover we are suggesting this affordable housing be built in mixed-income development in mixed-use neighborhoods with services and stores for residents—and with investment in safe streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, street trees and urban greening, better bus stops, better transit service, and perhaps most importantly, without displacement of current residents and small businesses.

 This conversation addresses issues that could lead to generation-defining changes in the way we live in Los Angeles County. The response so far has been overwhelming, and our speaker list is impressive:

• Phil Washington, CEO, LA Metro
• PeterCalthorpe, renowned architect, urban planner and a founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism
• JoeDiStefano, CEO of and co-creator with Peter Calthorpe of UrbanFootprint, a web-based urban planning and mapping platform
• Kome Ajise, Executive Director, Southern California Association of Governments
• Vince Bertoni, Planning Director, City of Los Angeles
• Lauren Cencic, Senior Director of Countywide Planning and Development, LA Metro
• KeAndra Cylear Dodds, Executive Officer, Equity and Race, LA Metro 
• Cecilia Estolano, CEO of Estolano Advisors and Former Executive Director, Los Angeles Redevelopment Agency
• Joan Ling, Lecturer, UCLA Urban Planning; Former Affordable Housing Developer
• Romel Pascual, Executive Director, CicLAvia
• Nancy Pfeffer, Executive Director, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
• Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Executive Director, LA's Low Income Support Corporation
• Moderator: Denny Zane, Executive Director, Move LA, and former Mayor, City of Santa Monica 

Are we dreaming? Or could this be part of the new normal?