Santa Monica officially reports numerous new business openings, often highlighted by the media as signs of economic recovery. However, a walk through the streets tells a different story; it appears less like a revival and […]

Attached is an article SMa.r.t. wrote in 2018, and short of a brief comment, I’m not going to edit or alter it, as it is prescient to what we are no doubt about to experience […]

There’s a story urban planners love to tell. A visionary architect-politician in a mid-sized Brazilian city looked at the chaos of modern urban life, the traffic, the pollution, the sprawl, and decided it didn’t have […]

Santa Monica is rushing its long-term water plan to state regulators — and giving residents just one week to weigh in. The city is required by California law to hold a public hearing before filing […]

Our city is currently coming through a cycle of decline, hoping to enter a more ascendant phase. But it is encountering two major headwinds that, in spite of everyone’s best efforts, do not augur well […]

by Bruce Leddy, SMa.r.t. Guest Columnist When it comes to new state housing laws that override local zoning, our City Council tends to say, in effect, “There’s nothing we can do! Our hands are tied!” […]

It was 4:31 in the morning when the San Fernando Valley lurched. The Northridge earthquake lasted less than 30 seconds. The effort to reckon with what it revealed would consume the better part of three […]

A Comparative Environmental, Financial, and Regulatory Analysis The Two Scenarios (Three?)  The airport remains operational or closed, but likely leading to the third and future use of the land.  So it should be worth taking […]

This is a genuinely sharp question, and the data tells a concerning story that Santa Monica’s housing advocates seem to be treating as a footnote rather than a foundational constraint. The numbers involved actually say […]