In large complex systems with dynamically balanced forces, it’s paradoxically often hard to tell when something has actually happened, For example, when did the British Empire start to crumble? What was the first sign of […]
By Tom Elias Drive almost any road in the vast San Joaquin Valley and you’ll see irrigation pipes standing up several feet tall in the middle of fields and orchards, pipes that once were underground. […]
The Narrative: Santa Monica’s decades-long housing construction “shortage” The Narrative endlessly repeats the refrain that for decades Santa Monica has built almost nothing. The implication is that residents should feel guilty about “selfishly” wanted to […]
Editor’s note: This column originally appeared in print in 2016. In the 1980s, Santa Monica’s single family zoning code was rewritten and modified to prevent the “mansionization” of small homes on small lots, from being […]
I am responding to the OP-ED (dated June 7, 2022, Santa Monica Mirror) by City-appointed DTSM Board Member and now Board Chair, Barry Snell, regarding his support of DTSM using about $550,000 every month of […]
A recent weekend visit to Dana Point, on the Orange County coastline, revealed a curious scene: dozens, if not hundreds of folks using electric bicycles to visit the coastline, ride in the streets and travel […]
By Tom Elias, Columnist The numbers suggest a major change is underway in California. It would take a Nostradamus to know if that change is real and long lasting or if those proclaiming it are […]
All too often these days we find ourselves wondering how we could have been so correct about so many planning issues that we have written about over these last nine years, and yet so frequently […]
By Barry Snell Chair, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. Board of Directors The Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Board of Directors and staff are fully aware of concerns regarding public safety along our beloved Third Street […]
Los Angeles County recently proposed a program providing financial incentives for certain “Legacy” family businesses in their original historical location. They have been facing financial hardships for a variety of reasons like COVID, gentrification, and […]
Sweet Laurel opened its flagship store in Palisades Village in 2018 and built a strong following across West Los Angeles....
Read moreSanta Monica officially reports numerous new business openings, often highlighted by the media as signs of economic recovery. However, a...
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