If You Want to Change L.A., You’re Going to Need Artists

When Policy Making Falls Short, Creativity Is a Catalyst

From giving communities a voice in land use and zoning to creating mutual aid networks, Los Angeles artists and arts organizations are finding ways to imagine a better future for and effect change in the city. How are they accomplishing things that politicians and policy makers struggle with? A panel of L.A. arts leaders and practitioners offered their insights at a Zócalo/LA Commons event that asked, “How Do Artists See the Next L.A.?”

Panelist John Malpede, an artist who founded Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD)—a performance group of people who live …