By The Times editorial board, LA Times
March 16, 2014

City government is not necessarily known for its willingness to try new things or move quickly, or its flexibility in issuing permits. Activists and businesses often complain that attempts to beautify their communities get tied up in red tape. But a program from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation offers hope of a new ethos emerging in City Hall, one that empowers neighborhoods and city agencies to experiment with urban design.

By Ann M. Simmons, LA Times
September 30, 2013

A plan to increase the pedestrian friendliness of Los Angeles by blocking off parallel parking spaces and creating pocket parks on the adjacent sidewalk appears to be flourishing, according to city officials and backers of the project.

The pilot program could expand as a result of its success, they said.

By Andrew Bender, LA Times
February 22, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma traces its contemporary history to pioneers who populated the prairies. Now, new urban pioneers are repopulating the capital, Oklahoma City, as restaurateurs re-imagine landmark buildings and create new communities around them.

They could hardly have come at a better time: The local economy is booming, and Forbes ranks OKC as the nation's eighth-fastest-growing city, thanks to thriving oil, gas and wind-power sectors as well as fracking.