| What does the future of Los Angeles look like 25, 30 or 40 years down the line? |
| That question was at the center of Imagining a Future L.A., a five-part series published by The Times on Sunday. |
| In a city with a plethora of problems, including a worsening housing crisis and an uptick in devastating fires, it's easy to focus on the negative. |
| But what if you could imagine a new Los Angeles, a city that would be sustainable and equitable for everyone? |
| My colleagues set out to do just that, asking community leaders and readers about their hopes for the city. They also consulted experts about how we might build more housing, whether there's a solution for flooding problems, what the future possibilities for fire mitigation might be, and much more. |
| Here's a look at the future of L.A. |
Crafting a blueprint for the 21st century |
| In Part 1 of the series, Times columnist Gustavo Arellano reminds readers how Angelenos rally like no others when the going gets tough. |
| When neighborhoods were eradicated in the Palisades and Eaton fires in January, the rest of L.A. came together to help survivors through financial donations, and clothing and food drives. |
| After the June 9 Home Depot raid kicked off a summer of chaos in L.A., fundraisers and mutual-aid and neighborhood watch groups sprouted. |
| It's that same resilience that will help the city successfully navigate the rest of the 21st century, Gustavo argues. |
Upping our housing game |
| To solve its housing crisis, Los Angeles must build. The big questions are where, how and how much new housing should be built. |
| As part of the Imagining the Future of L.A. series, The Times reached out to two sources with scenarios that challenge conventional thinking — two plans for the San Fernando Valley, which, half a century ago, provided the space for much of the city's growth. |
| The first proposes awakening a sleepy commercial corridor with low- and mid-rise apartments. The other imagines burying 20 miles of electrical transmission lines that snake through the Valley and building on the land that would then be opened up. |
| The fate of L.A.'s housing stock could also rely on denser neighborhoods, smaller homes, properties co-owned by friend groups instead of just families and ADUs in backyards across the city, separated from their original properties and bought and sold as separate homes. |
Rethinking our relationship with fire |
| In the wake of the deadly January fires that burned through Altadena and Pacific Palisades, many people wondered: Can we truly fortify our city against a firestorm? |
| Firefighters, architects and futurists say yes, particularly in fire-safe communities. |
| On Jan. 7, architect Michael Kovac's entire street burned in the Palisades, but his fire-resistant house survived. Now, it serves as a blueprint for resistance. |
| New technology is also key to defeating future flames. Autonomous helicopters and drones, AI-powered cameras, augmented-reality helmets and smart fire trucks are some of the many tools that could revolutionize firefighting technology. |
| What won't defeat future fires? Palm trees. As columnist Patt Morrison writes, the season for so many of this city's palm trees is running its course. |
| "We can no longer afford freeloader trees, however glamorous. Palms suck down water like camels, but give back barely enough leafiness to shade a Hula-Hoop. Falling fronds can deliver a mean whack, and during fires, palms light up like a flare." |
| Do photo shoots on the palm-tree-lined streets of L.A. while you can, folks. |
| Read more from the Imagining a Future L.A. series here. |
Today's top stories |
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| Federal agents are seen alongside residents at an immigrant raid June 20 on Atlantic Boulevard in the city of Bell. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) |
California took center stage in ICE raids, but other states saw more immigration arrests |
- In the first five months of President Trump's second term, California lagged behind the staunchly red states of Texas and Florida in total arrests.
- According to a Los Angeles Times analysis of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement data from the Deportation Data Project, Texas reported 26,341 arrests — nearly a quarter of all ICE arrests nationally — followed by 12,982 in Florida and 8,460 in California.
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The Canyon fire is more than 75% contained as firefighters make 'good progress' |
- The blaze has stopped growing at 5,370 acres since Friday as it burns near Castaic and the Los Angeles and Ventura county lines.
- The fire broke out Thursday during a heat wave and has since destroyed seven structures.
- Three firefighters have been injured, including Kern County Fire Department Battalion Chief James Agee, who was seriously injured when his pickup truck rolled over in the Romero Canyon area in Castaic in steep terrain.
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'The safest place to be': When fleeing fire is no longer an option |
- The instinct during a fire is to flee, but in some cases, experts say, the better option is to shelter in place.
- Fires in California explode faster than ever due to a warming climate, flammable brush overtaking native species and more human-caused ignitions during high winds.
- Fires overtake, in mere minutes, communities that take hours to evacuate. A growing number of wildfire safety and emergency response experts argue that hunkering down may be the only way to keep everyone in a vicious fire's path alive.
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Newsom and UC go to battle against Trump's UCLA sanctions |
- Conflict between UCLA and Trump has come to a head after the president's administration suspended $584 million in grants and has demanded a $1-billion settlement over a host of allegations against the university.
- Gov. Newsom says the state will sue. The UC Board of Regents will hold an emergency meeting today.
- The suspension of grants has imperiled research in an array of subjects. Here's how UCLA's research faculty is grappling with the funding freeze.
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What else is going on |
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Commentary and opinions |
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This morning's must reads |
| | | The tale of Sydney, a rescue dog who provided solace and companionship for evacuees from the Eaton fire. | | | |
Other must reads |
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| Keep up with California | Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. | | | | | |
For your downtime |
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| (Alan Berry Rhys / For The Times) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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And finally ... your photo of the day |
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| (JJ Geiger / For The Times) |
| Today's great photo is from Times contributor JJ Geiger at the L.A. Craftsman of Paul Chan, who channeled "In the Mood for Love" and the art of the everyday for the home's design. |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| Jim Rainey, staff writer
Diamy Wang, homepage intern
Izzy Nunes, audience intern
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
