SMart (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow) periodically invites guest columnists who have made a significant contribution to the public discourse to its weekly SM Mirror OP-Ed page. Today, we invite SMCLC (Santa Monica […]

In the relentless pursuit of modernity, cities worldwide have witnessed the rise of so-called architectural marvels in the form of sleek apartment buildings and commercial structures. Many are often celebrated for their avant-garde designs and […]

[SMa.r.t. note: Eight years ago, our highly esteemed and recently-passed colleague Ron Goldman documented his thoughts on the need for urban and architectural design in Santa Monica. We are revisiting his essay below (with minor […]

Nine years ago, I wrote a column for SMa.r.t. titled SANTA MONICA: BEACH TOWN OR ‘DINGBAT’ CITY? (https://smdp.com/2015/05/09/santa-monica-beach-town-dingbat-city/)Here is the first paragraph from that column.  “In the late 1950s, ’60s, and into the ’70s, there […]

Last week we discussed the numerous flaws of the Gelson’s project as a perfect example of what not to do in providing new housing in Santa Monica. Fueled by the artificially inflated “need” to build […]

On March 4, 2024, your ARB (Architectural Review Board) ruled in favor of the 521-unit Gelson’s Project at Ocean Park and Lincoln Blvd. This controversial project was fatally flawed from the beginning, and by the […]

By suggestion, I attended the March 4th ARB (Architectural Review Board) meeting that addressed the Gelson Lincoln Boulevard Project.  After the session, I came away with thoughts about the process that the state has initiated […]

Earlier this week, in the dark pre-dawn hours, a pair of thugs covered in masks and hoodies burst into the lobby of the 23-unit apartment building where I live, ran down the hallway, and quickly […]

FILM REVIEWTHE OSCAR LANDSCAPE 2024A Look at the Choices – Academy Awards – March 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. on ABC I believe there should never be contests for art, as a huge part of […]

Our beloved City is surrounded by many threats, from sea level rise to homelessness, to housing affordability, to cancerous overdevelopment, to  crime, to the four apocalyptic collapses: water supply, school population, municipal finances, and mobility […]