Look at the caption. Yikes. The ad tries to make you like the concept of 24-7 surveillance by government or even non-government (just as scary) with the promise of attending a football game or concert without the drudgery of carrying a physical ticket (or iPhone). Uggh!

1/10 It is my understanding that President Trump is going to declare a national housing emergency. On this, I am in complete agreement with the president, but I am trying to understand what levers the federal government has at its disposal. #housingcrisis #housing

This is huge! calmatters.org/housing/2025...

I am honored to have been appointed by Governor Newsom to serve on the California State Historical Resources Commission www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/27/g...

1/ To those outside of southern California who’ve reached out to see if I’m okay, yes, it’s all good. Over the weekend, there were mass protests in reaction to an ICE/DHS campaign that’s focusing on Southern California. They were for the most part peaceful, with a few incidents like always.

These days I don’t agree with Elon very much, but his complaint that cutting off subsidies for EVs and their required infrastructure, but leaving in place subsidies for oil and natural gas production is a crime. Why not cut it all?

Thanks @SteveWright for your excellent article on resilient design and including my perspectives on post-fire rebuilding in LA www.nar.realtor/on-common-gr...

1/1 To run a country like a business then you need to recognize that successful businesses grow on the basis of relationships NOT transactions. But the president doesn’t know that. He’s never built a successful business.

Excellent analysis showing how some counter intuitive strategies paid off. Against prevailing wisdom, certain trees, and certain growing patterns actually provided protection to structures. dirt.asla.org/2025/04/01/w...

This is a podcast about cycling called “Bike Talk” for which I was interviewed about my thoughts on rebuilding in LA post fires in a more pedestrian and bike friendly manner. I’m on at 23:17 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

This is my neighbor Peter Kerndt. It speaks for itself. #USAID #TB

To be fair, I have, on occasion sent texts to the wrong person, over unsecured chat services. I mean it happens. However, it almost never involved top secret information about intended military targets or payloads www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

Coming on March 26 at 6pm EDT (3PM PDT)

1/3 Please note: tariffs are not a tax on Canada. They are a tax on us in the U.S. Today we heard that there is approximately $200k of steel in production in Canada for a project we designed that is currently under construction.

Here’s a link to a panel on Wildfire Recovery in which I participated along with Barry Long, Kate Blystone and Rob Steuteville. I discussed the opportunity for redevelopment of the neighborhood centers of Pacific Palisades and Altadena #LAFires nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

I don’t think that Trump understands how math works. He said, "In just over one month, illegal border crossings have plummeted by numbers that nobody has actually ever seen before. It’s much more than 100 percent," No one has ever seen it before because it is not mathematically possible.

Next Tuesday, March 4 at 12pm ET, On the Park Bench webinar: “Wildfire Recovery and Planning.” Panelists Neal Payton, Barry Long, Kate Blystone, and Martin Dreiling will discuss recovery from the LA fire disasters and urban planning related to wildfires. Register @ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

A project that we Torti Gallas + Partners are very proud of for its design also is being discussed for its innovative financing allowing 30% affordable apartments in Downtown DC. The unique financing had design implications that were accommodated seamlessly. www.multihousingnews.com/increasing-d...

Great essay by @Robert Steuteville debunking the absurd and erroneous claims about #NewUrbanism that were published in the Federalist. www.cnu.org/publicsquare...

People don’t love their cities because they’re great, they’re cities are great because people love them.

@urbanizela.bsky.social you might consider a link to this essay thanks commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...

Great essay about stress tests on local governments. I am honored to have my own essay referenced, “Neal Payton, an L.A. based urban planner…argues this is an opportunity to rethink outdated land-use patterns and embrace walkable, mixed-use development.” open.substack.com/pub/willhamp...

Hmmm. Maybe we’d get better bike infrastructure www.newsweek.com/us-denmark-t...

Considerations for rebuilding after the #LAfires commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...

Some thoughts on rebuilding the centers of Pacific Palisades and Altadena after the fires that consumed them. Diffuse land ownership patterns require acknowledging these ‘facts on the ground' This is key to any successful and transformative redevelopment. commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...

1/8 While much has been reported on about the loss of single-family homes in the #LAfires, I saw some interesting stats from Commercial Observer that I thought I'd regurgitate.

I just learned that during the worst of the Palisades fire in LA, the online betting site, Polymarket, which is supposed to be off-limits to those in the US (but isn’t) was hosting the following bet, "Will Palisades wildfire spread to Santa Monica by Sunday?" #LAFires Very scary.

1 down, 1459 days to go

Elon #Musk, you know you’ve reached the pinnacle of ick when former Trump whisperer Steve Bannon calls you “a truly evil guy, a very bad guy.” www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

HAPPY MLK DAY! NEVER BEND THE KNEE! @mcspocky.bsky.social @candybones.bsky.social @electroboyusa.bsky.social @wtafworld.bsky.social @gwenie.bsky.social @nadinemrosin.bsky.social @debbie292d.bsky.social @gmf1369.bsky.social @dougieg633.bsky.social @rammolo.bsky.social @misstrueblue.bsky.social Repost

@willhampton ‘s take on the #LAfires in “Good Government Files.” His objective and dispassionate review of the literature being written about the fires is welcome. open.substack.com/pub/willhamp... open.substack.com/pub/willhamp...

A great article explaining what went into fighting the #LAFires Contrary to allegations from the president elect, this sounds quite competent. www.latimes.com/california/s...

1/5 As you ponder reports blaming city leadership for the #LAfires, (disclaimer: I don’t live in the City of LA and did not have a vote in the last election) note that some of it is being offered up by the losing candidate for mayor, who is expected to try again so it might not be 100% objective.

It’s already begun. Suppliers, designers, you name it hustling their wares or skills (tastefully, of course) on LinkedIn to an audience needing to rebuild after the #LAfires. It makes me want to scream.

Highly recommend this article. Not only does it suggest a shift in thinking, but has real policy suggestions that are easily implantable. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Here’s some perspective. Estimated losses from the #LAfires hover around $135 billion, a staggering amount - something like, what 1/3 of the net worth of #Elonmusk?

Looking out of my house, I see what resembles snow flurries. Of course this is white ash, the remains of peoples’ homes and possessions, which I suspect will soon blanket the city. I’ve seen war movies that depict such scenes. #LAFires

While the fires are ongoing, blame and recrimination for what went wrong in response to #LAfires is in plentiful supply. In the weeks to come there will be a lot of “analysis”. Hopefully, most of it will be, scientific and helpful (and the unhelpful political trash talking will be ignored).

1/4 If you’re following the #LAfires news from afar, you’ve been exposed to a lot of information, some of which is false. The Fire crews have NOT run out of water. At any given time they might be low (as they only hold so much) but they are constantly being replenished.

We are not in an evacuation zone, but for the first time since I’ve lived here, I’ve packed a little go bag. This photo was taken by my wife about ago looking north about 1/2 block from our house. The fire appears closer in the photo than it is in real life.

Trump held a press conference and promised to battle windmills. Will @JDVance be his Sancho Panza and futilely explain to Don Quixote Trump that battling them is futile? #windmills

Is anyone, but me annoyed my the misuse of the word “decimated”, which means to kill or destroy 1 in 10? Consider this sentence,from a news account on Russia’s navy, “Ukraine has decimated over a third of the Black Sea Fleet,” Taken literally, 1/10 of 1/3 = 1/30 which is or what is meant.

I don’t normally read “Trains” magazine, but this is a delightful interview with a passenger rail visionary with decades of real world experience #HSR #CaliforniaHSR #Diridon www.trains.com/trn/railroad...

For those interested in Los Angeles, and it’s public realm, Alissa Walker’s @awalkerinla.bsky.social year in review is a must read www.torched.la/not-the-end-...

If I had a nickel for every client that wants to do “missing middle” housing, but can’t figure out how to balance land costs/with construction economics, I could practically finance my own affordable housing.

“Meanwhile, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 8%…, attributed to federal housing aid for veterans.
“‘Th[is] reduction…offers a clear roadmap for addressing homelessness on a larger scale,’ says Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.” wapo.st/4iMDwPL

It would be interesting to explain this without relying on conventional partisan politics. I’ll try. Exercise? Rates of smoking? Prenatal care? Medical insurance coverage? educational attainment? Other?

kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/re... Only Las Vegas is worse, with DFW in 3rd I’m pleasantly surprised that LA is not one of those 3, which could indicate some success in a five years worth of efforts to end homelessness, but who knows.