Today I'm writing about Thomas Schulz's Week Five blog post on Los Feliz. He did a really great job describing the location--now I want to go, and I'd never even heard of it!
I found it interesting that he compared Los Feliz--and affluent neighborhood near Hollywood--to other, showier neighborhoods while also considering how it related to poorer areas. His thoughts on the exclusivity of places like Rodeo Drive were valuable because the correlation he draws between that exclusivity and the lack of sidewalk-walkers is very accurate. His analysis of the hair salon "juan juan" and it's nature as an "escape" related well to this point and provided a nice, flushed-out example. I also can't help but be partial to this post, as he was in pursuit of a friendly, walkable neighborhood and there's nothing I like better! (And nothing, it seems, that's rather down here in Los Angeles and Orange County.)
I'd like to add to his post, however, with the knowledge we now have about the environmental justice movement. He addresses Jane Jacobs' book and her theory that bustling sidewalks are equate to lower crime rates, and he argues that he theory seems correct--the busy sidewalks in Los Feliz feel safe, as opposed to the empty late-night streets in an area like Rodeo, where shader characters know there won't be as many eyes on them. I agree, and I'd like to apply his thoughts to poorer areas rather than wealthier ones.
What if people avoided the sidewalks because they avoided the outdoors in general? What if the air quality near your home was polluted by an oil refinery or incinerator? What if the city blocks that could be filled with small businesses and restaurants were instead occupied by a power plant and its fumes? The environmental justice issues at hand in these neighborhoods go beyond just environmental quality--they can also affect the residents' quality of life. If ambiance is one of the key factors in attracting business to a neighborhood, then these areas are at a serious economic disadvantage, too. And who knows what else their environmental problems could stop them from getting the opportunity to do or experience!
Things to think about, when you extrapolate a subject into another neighborhood,
Cheers!
Amy
UPDATE 12/9: Woops! Didn't realize until today that I should have posted it on the original blog. Fixed!
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