Things to read from the past week:

  • 12 Sunsets: Delving into Ed Ruscha's archive for a look at Sunset Boulevard between 1965 and 2007 (The Getty)
  • A look back at 10 years of CicLAvia and open streets events: "Those with long memories will recall there was skepticism such an event could even be held in the L.A. area — even though open streets events were becoming increasingly popular around the world. The fears were the usual ones. Closing streets would be a hassle. Traffic would halt. Blah blah blah." (The Source)
  • Taxpayers, not company, will pay for massive Exide toxic cleanup, under plan OK’d by court: "The decision by Chief Judge Christopher Sontchi of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware, made over the objections of California officials and community members, marks the latest chapter in a decades-long history of government failures to protect the public from brain-damaging lead, cancer-causing arsenic and other pollutants from the facility." (LA Times)
  • What Happy LA Looks Like: Photos From The Lakers 2020 Championship Win: (Before The Tactical Alert): "Despite the city urging people to demonstrate joy at home, Lakers fans took to the streets around Staples Center to celebrate the win. Fireworks lit up the skies. People stuck in traffic jams passed the time by hanging out of car windows cheering, chanting, waving flags, and twirling jerseys. And throughout the night, Kobe Bryant's name echoed in the air like a prayer." (LAist)
  • Hello Target, Goodbye Husk: "As the East Hollywood Target prepares to finally open, L.A.’s favorite sentient construction site says buh-bye." (Los Angeleno)
  • Fisker Gets Ready for Wall Street Debut, Picks Up Manhattan Beach HQ: "The leased headquarters will house the now Torrance-based company's design and engineering team as it ramps up to deliver the 'Ocean SUV' by the fall of 2022. The company said it will double its size, bringing on about 100 employees over the coming months, most of whom will work out of the new headquarters." (Dot LA)
  • Some LA Tenants Awarded Free Rent Money Won't Get It. They Say Landlords are to Blame: "Thousands of tenants, chosen through a lottery, would get up to $2,000 in free rent money, paid directly to their landlord. Danni Katz’s name was chosen, but before the city distributes the money, landlords must agree to not raise rent for one year. Katz’s landlord said no." (NBC Los Angeles)
  • California Transportation Plan 2050: Comments are due by October 22 (Streetsblog California)
  • Glendale confronts its racist past, apologizing for ‘sundown’ laws: "Sundown towns kept Black people out by a combination of laws and informal policies, including racist housing covenants and police intimidation..." (LA Times)
  • Metro Committee Approves Regional Connector Service Plan: "Metro’s Regional Connector is a $1.55 billion 1.9-mile light rail subway that will tie together the Metro A (Blue), E (Expo), and L (Gold) Lines. The project has been under construction since late 2014, and was originally anticipated to be completed in 2020 – this year. Early construction difficulties resulted in delays and a nine percent cost overrun. The line is now 70 percent complete, and anticipated to open to the public in Summer/Fall 2022." (Streetsblog LA)
  • Kevin de León takes L.A. City Council seat, vows to tackle ‘dystopian’ homelessness crisis: "De León promised to work immediately on bringing 200 homeless shelter beds to downtown Los Angeles and building hundreds of 'transitional' housing units across the district, which includes downtown, Eagle Rock, El Sereno and Boyle Heights." (LA Times)
  • Ghosts of October: A New Book Explains Why Dodger Stadium Should Not Exist and The Powerful Reasons It Does: "Eric Nusbaum’s book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between (Public Affairs, 2020), takes Dodger fans and anyone else interested in baseball and L.A. history beyond the well-documented events of the Dodgers’ arrival and the building of their new stadium. By focusing on three central stories—the Aréchiga family, Frank Wilkinson, and the civic desire for big-league baseball in post-WWII Los Angeles—Stealing Home adds a fresh perspective to the tale Dodger fans think they already know." (LA Taco)
  • L.A. office leasing feels the COVID effect: "Office occupancy fell by 2.7 million square feet, a worsening of conditions in the second quarter when occupancy fell by 1.9 million square feet, real estate brokerage CBRE said." (LA Times)