SB 50: Zombie 2.0
Once again Sacramento is trying to destroy our City and our State. The current Godzilla is Senate Bill 50 (SB50) introduced by the same real estate industry con artist Scott Weiner who tried to destroy […]
SMa.r.t. Column: So Sad
This is an article about the decline of a city locked into a poorly conceived code, about a city controlled by developers and the money they bring to the table. It is also about one […]
SMa.r.t. Column: What Are They Thinking?
At the April 9 Santa Monica City Council meeting approval was given to order the staff to publish an RFP to developers for the demolition of Parking Lot #3 at 1318 Fourth Street and the […]
MODE: Don’t Downgrade Success!
MODE (Mobility On-Demand Every Day) is a program launched in July 2018 by the Big Blue Bus to serve the transportation needs of Santa Monica’s senior residents. The BBB partnership with LYFT provides seniors with […]
Our Cars Are Killing Us
Many science fiction stories involve humans battling for survival from the robots they themselves created. Unfortunately that future is already here. There are three ways cars kill us: quickly as in car crashes or collisions, […]
SMa.r.t. Column: Gridlocked Best Intentions
On any given evening (and especially weekends) pay a visit to north-bound 2nd Street between Broadway Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, and you’ll encounter a world-class clusterpuck. A cast-in-cement gridlock that often extends back along […]
Is Santa Monica’s Heart for Sale?
Note from SMa.r.t.: This article, in a longer form, was originally published four years ago but is still as pertinent as ever. The Plaza at Santa Monica asks a simple question: Is our downtown the […]
The Myth of “Public” Art in Santa Monica
Over the past few years, the Stanton MacDonald Wright murals at the entrance to Santa Monica City Hall have stirred up a controversy. They were a Works Progress Administration project funded during America’s Great Depression. […]
A Clean(er) Energy Future in SM
Where do we get our electricity? Until now, from Southern California Edison. But beginning next month, Santa Monica residents will have a second option: The Clean Power Alliance, a collaborative organization of public agencies in […]
The City Must Redo and Recirculate the EIR for the Massive Project at 4th and Arizona
Let’s just say it: This is Hines ALL OVER AGAIN! An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that doesn’t select qualified alternatives to the project that would have fewer environmental impacts so as to choose a better […]