Recently, Los Angeles became the subject of much attention as the civically-minded flocked to the city to take part in this year’s CityLab conference.
CityLab is a symposium for over 300 of the world’s mayors to openly discuss challenges, create scalable solutions and share in situational urban advancements. Conversations are curated to inspire solutions for colossal global hot topics — poverty, water shortages, food sovereignty, transportation, equality, minimum wage, youth, racism, education, etc. The culmination of knowledge is then shared with the general public for a small ticket price in a Q&A series with key note speakers. “CityLab 2014: Making L.A.” was strategically themed around the concept of placemaking and highlighted the commitment of cities to foster and support local talent while thinking boldly about urban renewal projects.
Los Angeles was a phenomenal setting for the concept of power of place, as it has made significant strides in recent years to transition away from swaths of urban sprawl and car dependency, to establishing urban renewal projects and focusing on transit oriented design. A current example of L.A.’s commitment to urban renewal is Bringing Back Broadway, the Broadway Streetscape Master Plan, which prioritizes people over vehicles.
I was welcomed into CityLab by a public intervention happening on Broadway. Graceful and playful dancers occupied the street and sidewalk to the powerful rhythms and words of Fela Kuti. The dancers would thrust their legs, arms and bodies over the crosswalk when the pedestrian signal shone bright. Picking up my ticket from an original Broadway ticket booth, something was in the air — an electric energy, people were excited about the urban realm, people were excited about Broadway, people were excited about listening to stories being shared from some huge makers and shakers
Global champions such as Eric Garcetti (the 42nd mayor of L.A.), Roy Choi (food truck guru, chef and social activist), Bettina Korek (artist and founder of ForYourArt), Michael Govan (executive director of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA), Richard Florida and many more were all ready to deliver their latest musings to an amped crowd . The theatre stage was set at the Ace Hotel for the Q &A, where rhetoric such as “Cities really are the product of their people,” “what makes a good city is its public spaces” and “quality of place plays a pivotal role in why people choose to stay” was dished out for urban enthusiasts like me.
Richard Florida facilitated the first conversation regarding Power of Place between Rick Caruso and Michael Govan opening with the line “cities really are the product of their people.” The dialogue illuminated the power of social media and decisions regarding public spaces and entranceway design. In reinventing the LACMA entranceway, Govan imagined it being outside, a grand doorway that highlighted the building and allowed itself to be used as informal public space. This became a considerable opportunity for LACMA, as people are constantly taking photos of each other and selfies in front of the entrance, uploading these images onto Instagram and Facebook — providing LACMA with free international exposure, a built-in social media presence. The entranceway is also showcased through music videos, as artists film in the public space during all hours of the night. Caruso said it well: we need to create opportunity for open space at the ‘right scale’, and it seems that is exactly what many are doing in and around L.A. There is a shift towards recognizing that density is the direction that is needed for viable public spaces and for a more integrated and connected transit system in the vast swaths of the city.
The second conversation included inspiring interviewee, Gavin “Mizzle” McNeill, who will be featured alongside one of his creations, YOUth Store and Gallery, in an up-and-coming TV series called “Welcome to Fairfax“. McNeill discussed the need to take a risk and have passion in the projects one supports. As a visionary, he promotes having faith in those projects and pushing them forward. His ambition runs strong as he foresees opening a store in every city around the world that recognizes the importance of youth and youth culture.
The headline interview of the evening was with Eric Garcetti. Coming from Toronto, I was inspired by the charismatic mayor of Los Angeles. He clearly articulated the strengths and very real challenges that his city is facing. With a sense of humor, Garcetti expressed that the world has a stake in L.A.’s success. The city itself is packaged and re-branded globally through the film industry, an industry that he strongly believes is worth keeping through urban social policies that will assist the industry in settling back in California. Garcetti is also a firm believer that one of L.A.’s biggest strengths is the “mash up culture,” and strongly advocates for the education system to be redeveloped to incorporate a bilingual curriculum setting Angelino youth up with success in an ever changing global culture.
The final treat of the evening was a candid and hilarious conversation with Roy Choi. Choi provided the audience with a very real and optimistic perspective of being self-built, top L.A. entrepreneur. He grew up in one of L.A.’s neighbourhoods where freeways were built overhead, subsequently ignoring many of the people that lived below. He suggested that instead of seeing a problem as something that needs a huge, premeditated strategy from the top down, start really small and look for a solution from the bottom-up. If it is something that is needed, it will catch on and grow organically. Through its growth, it will change and move into something else. Remove the boundaries and think of it as a “flexible mould” that has room to grow. He noted that this growth, in whatever form it takes, may come from collaborations when people leave their egos at the door.
CityLab was jokingly referred to as the Mayor’s Prom, getting 300+ mayors to sit together around the table and discuss ‘the challenges, ideas, and innovations that are shaping cities around the world’. One thing I know for sure, I hope that John Tory will be attending the 2015 CityLab prom, so that he can be inspired to think of practical solutions that may just be bold enough for the creative mash up that is our City of Toronto.
Photo “Los Angeles on Approach” by Kirk Crawford via flickr, creative commons licence
