"Steven Sharp: Satirical Take on Real Estate and Urban Planning Headlines in LA"
"CicLAvia Returns, Parks Department Draft Assessment, and Dueling Studies on Measure ULA's Impact Highlight LA's Urban Development News This Week."
L.A.'s iconic open streets event, CicLAvia, is set to return on September 14, 2025 with a route that will run through Historic South Central and Watts, showcasing the vibrant communities in the area. However, the event's strict rules on only allowing people-powered vehicles has sparked controversy, with some arguing that it limits accessibility for those with disabilities.
In other news, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks has released its draft assessment on the city's parks needs, which highlights the lack of investment and staff in the city's park system. While the draft is open for public comment, it's clear that the Parks Department's budget has not kept up with inflation or the overall city budget, resulting in a shortage of funding for park spaces.
Meanwhile, a study by the RAND Corporation and UCLA has found that Measure ULA, a controversial transfer tax imposed on real estate sales over $5 million, has significantly reduced the production of new housing in Los Angeles. However, the backers of the measure have released their own study, arguing that the impacts have been overstated and that the tax is working as intended.
While the debate on Measure ULA continues, it's clear that Los Angeles is struggling to produce enough housing to meet the city's growing population. But on the bright side, the tax is generating a significant amount of money for subsidized affordable housing, with the recent release of the largest ever funding round by the Los Angeles Housing Department.
Originally reported by Urban https://la.urbanize.city/post/weekly-headlines-september-6-2025