Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bunker Hill, Civic Leadership, Dorothy Chandler, Future of Cities, LA Music Center, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Museums, urban renewal

Channeling Dorothy Chandler: Voices From the Past and the Future of Los Angeles

Dorothy Chandler (1922-1997) was arguably the most powerful woman in Los Angeles during the 1960s - presiding over the city's most elite social circles, and appearing on the cover of Time Magazine in honor of her unprecedented cultural fundraising efforts. Yet, few Angelenos know who she is other than a name on a Music Center building downtown. So why … Continue reading Channeling Dorothy Chandler: Voices From the Past and the Future of Los Angeles

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bunker Hill, Civic Leadership, historic preservation, LA Conservancy, LA Music Center, LA Politics, LA River, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Magazine, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The Impermanence of LA’s Built Environment?

What deserves protection? With every announcement I read about the construction of a new building, new museum, or a park redesign comes my inevitable questions: what was there before? Is there anything worth saving? And how will these new spaces shape L.A. in the 21st century? My latest pondering of these questions has to do with L.A. … Continue reading The Impermanence of LA’s Built Environment?

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bunker Hill, CicLAvia, Civic Leadership, Committee of 25, Future of Cities, LA Music Center, LA Politics, LA River, LACMA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Uncategorized, urban renewal

Is L.A. Designed to Work?

Outgoing L.A. Deputy Mayor Rick Cole recently remarked that "L.A. is not designed to work." Could he be right? Is L.A. too big for true civic engagement? Or do projects like CicLAvia and the L.A. River Revitalization prove this contention wrong? Before I delve into my opinion regarding this question, let me provide a little context for Cole's remark. … Continue reading Is L.A. Designed to Work?

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Chavez Ravine, Civic Leadership, Dodger Stadium, Elysian Park, Grace Simons, historic preservation, LA Convention Center, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, Recreation and Parks, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The Day Angelenos Lost Elysian Park…Almost

March 10, 1965: The L.A. City Council votes in favor of a proposal to construct a convention center and exhibit hall in Elysian Park, on 63 acres of the park's most popular play and picnic grounds, which include the recreation lodge and the Avenue of the Palms. At the Council Meeting, retired journalist Grace E. Simons vehemently … Continue reading The Day Angelenos Lost Elysian Park…Almost

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bunker Hill, Civic Leadership, Committee of 25, Dorothy Chandler, LA Music Center, LA Philharmonic, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The L.A. Music Center Turns 50!

 The Music Center is…both highly accessible and highly visible, giving Los Angeles a new visual axis….the center is recognized as a milestone in the city’s cultural aspirations….[making the city] a new center of culture that has passed Chicago and is getting ready to challenge New York. [1]  - Time Magazine, 1964 Los Angeles…is a center of … Continue reading The L.A. Music Center Turns 50!

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Chavez Ravine, Civic Leadership, Committee of 25, Dodger Stadium, Elysian Park, Grace Simons, LA Convention Center, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, Recreation and Parks, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The L.A. Convention Center in Elysian Park? The Importance of Studying ‘Never Built’ Projects

This week's post was written for a guest blog post on American Planning Association-L.A. section's blog, found here.  What if the L.A. City Council had followed through with a plan to build a convention center in Elysian Park? What would the park look like today? How would it have affected traffic, especially during baseball season? And what … Continue reading The L.A. Convention Center in Elysian Park? The Importance of Studying ‘Never Built’ Projects

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bob Baker Marionette Theater, historic preservation, LA Conservancy, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The Messy World of Historic Preservation: the Bob Baker Marionette Theater

What constitutes a building worth saving? Curbed LA recently featured an article about the likely conversion of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater into a five-story mixed-use building project.[1] As the article notes, the sixty-one year old building in downtown Los Angeles has faced a number of threats in the last six years, including a near-foreclosure, and official … Continue reading The Messy World of Historic Preservation: the Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Civic Leadership, LA Convention Center, LA Music Center, LA Politics, LACMA, Los Angeles, Uncategorized, urban renewal

L.A.’s Inferiority Complex

For over 50 years, scholars, educators, historians, and enthusiasts of the North American West gather annually to share the latest findings and approaches to understanding the diverse history of the west as "both a frontier and a region." I had the honor of presenting at the Western History Association 2014 conference in Newport Beach last week, and although … Continue reading L.A.’s Inferiority Complex

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Bunker Hill, Civic Leadership, Committee of 25, Dorothy Chandler, LA Music Center, LA Philharmonic, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Uncategorized

Castro, Kennedy, and Chandler – How the Cuban Missile Crisis stole L.A.’s Big Moment

The L.A. Music Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season with a number of commemorative events--including a rededication ceremony on October 1st to "celebrate the transformative role of the performing arts center in Los Angeles." [1] So what does this have to do with the Cuban Missile Crisis? Few people, if any, know that President Kennedy … Continue reading Castro, Kennedy, and Chandler – How the Cuban Missile Crisis stole L.A.’s Big Moment

Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Chavez Ravine, Civic Leadership, Dodger Stadium, Elysian Park, Grace Simons, LA Politics, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, Recreation and Parks, Uncategorized, urban renewal

The L.A. Dodgers and Elysian Park

On Wednesday night, I was among the sold-out crowd of 58,000+ Angelenos who watched the Los Angeles Dodgers clinch the NL West title with a 9-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. It was an exciting game that featured a high-scoring sixth inning and a few fancy tricks by Dodgers standout pitcher Clayton Kershaw. As you … Continue reading The L.A. Dodgers and Elysian Park