1st + Main | The City Planning Department Blog

*CUE* Beyoncé’s ‘Run the World – Girls’ Imagine walking into your office on a Monday. You look to your left, you look to your right, and all of your colleagues are men.  No, this isn’t an episode of The Twilight Zone, however for many women working in the field of urban and regional planning this is an everyday reality. So, how can we imagine an innovative and immersive city if diverse voices aren’t heard – or asked to even take a seat at the table? That’s where the City of Los Angeles steps in. Here in LA, the City Planning Department has made concerted efforts to hire and train employees to create a more accessible and equitable city. From the Deputy Director of Planning to our Graphics team and everyone in between, women have played a vital role in shaping our City. Now I’m sure you’re asking yourself, well, how many women are actually working at City Planning.   Check the stats: 58% of our Employees are women. 57% of Planners are women. 58% of Sup

Let’s build a city, and we’re not talking about the SIMCITY game here people! Welcome to You-ville! A new city that’s going to be completely created and maintained by YOU. Although this is “You-ville,” it’s hard to imagine a city with a population of just one, so you’ll have to plan for at least a modest population. Ready to start? Let’s get to it! First, some things to consider…. Where do people live? Where do people work and how far is that from where they live? Where do people purchase the goods and services they need? Do you have any schools, if so, how many and what types?  What do your streets look like? Can you play in a local park? Can you park at the park? Are people walking, driving, using public transportation or speeding overhead on autonomous flying drones? What do you HAVE to have in your city to make it work?  We know, that’s a lot to think about (and not even everything to think about), so let’s break this down how a city planner