Public perceptions of South Los Angeles still linger almost exclusively on its poverty, its crime, its history of riots. But those who live and work there describe a far more complicated and hopeful reality: safer neighborhoods, a surge in home ownership, new businesses, greater transit and arts options, better schools. What explains the progress of South L.A.—and why has greater Los Angeles heard so little about that progress? How can people and institutions in South L.A. better handle the many problems that do persist—from unemployment to healthcare access to poor public services? And what new challenges might a more prosperous South L.A. pose for its residents? Community Development Technologies Center CEO Benjamin Torres, former president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works Valerie Shaw, USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) director Manuel Pastor, and Nuevo South founder Jorge Nuño visit Zócalo to examine whether South L.A.’s should be considered an urban success story.
*Photo by Steve Hymon.
The Takeaway
The Secret to South L.A.’s Success Is That It Loves Itself
Local Leaders Discuss Protecting the Community’s Rich Past and Promoting Its Bright Future
It’s one thing to put in the hard work to improve a community, but when do you declare success? In long-maligned South Los Angeles, that time is now, said a …