Angels Flight, a beloved landmark in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, has captured the imagination of locals and tourists alike for over a century. This iconic 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway has a rich history and has become an integral part of the city’s heritage.

The railway consists of two funicular cars, Olivet and Sinai, which traverse a distance of 298 feet (91 m) and ascend a vertical gain of 96 feet (29 m). Angels Flight has operated on two different sites, with the original location running from 1901 until 1969, when it made way for redevelopment.

Following a fatal accident, the second location opened in 1996, offering a connection between Hill Street and California Plaza. However, it faced multiple closures and safety concerns, leading to a nine-year hiatus before resuming operations in 2010. After further safety enhancements, Angels Flight reopened in 2017, serving as an economic link and a charming mode of transportation for locals and visitors.

Throughout its history, Angels Flight has held a special place in the hearts of Angelenos. It has been both a tourist attraction and a practical means of transportation for workers commuting between the Downtown Historic Core and Bunker Hill. The quaint railway has witnessed the city’s evolution while retaining its nostalgic charm.

The original Angels Flight, built in 1901 by Colonel J. W. Eddy, operated with a good safety record for 68 years. Although it had its share of accidents, it remained a beloved fixture until its closure in 1969. Numerous companies owned and operated the railway during this period, with the city eventually taking control and initiating its dismantling.

Recognizing its historical significance, the Cultural Heritage Board designated Angels Flight as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1962. This recognition solidified the railway’s place in the city’s collective memory and spurred efforts to preserve its legacy.

Angels Flight holds a unique place in the fabric of Los Angeles, seamlessly blending history, nostalgia, and practicality. Its reopening in recent years has been celebrated as a testament to the city’s commitment to preserving its iconic landmarks. As the cars traverse the short but steep incline, passengers are transported not only in distance but also in time, experiencing a piece of Los Angeles history that continues to captivate and inspire.

If you’re looking for further details about Angel’s Flight, you can visit:https://www.angelsflight.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Flight

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If you have an interest in cities or are just an urbanist, we’ve got you covered. With our Urbanism section, we cover everything from modern and historical stories about the topic. Transportation, infrastructure, architecture, or suburban living, you’ll find it here. Our articles dive deep into the intricacies of urban planning, exploring how cities evolve and adapt to changing demands. Discover the role of green spaces in enhancing urban life and read about innovative solutions to common urban challenges. Whether you’re fascinated by the bustling life of metropolitan areas or the tranquility of well-planned suburbs, our content offers insights and inspiration for everyone curious about urban environments. You’ll learn about cutting-edge developments in sustainable building practices, the latest trends in public policy affecting urban areas, and personal stories from residents who shape the communities they live in. We also discuss the social and economic impacts of urbanization, touching on topics such as gentrification, housing affordability, and the significance of public transportation. With expert analysis and firsthand accounts, our urbanists section is your go-to source for understanding the multifaceted world of urban living.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge/urbanism/

CitizenM is a hotel chain that offers affordable luxury for modern travelers and aims to eliminate their shared frustrations.

https://stmdailynews.com/unique-experiences-at-the-citizenm/

Brightline West Project

As a passionate advocate for modern transportation, I am beyond excited about the latest development in American rail: the Brightline West project, which is officially one step closer to reality with the recent signing of a $3 billion grant agreement by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)! This project isn’t just another rail line; it’s a historic leap forward for high-speed rail in the U.S. and a beacon of progress for public transportation enthusiasts like myself.

On September 26, 2024, this monumental agreement was finalized, marking the beginning of what many of us have dreamed about for decades—true high-speed rail connecting Las Vegas to Southern California! With trains capable of reaching speeds over 200 miles per hour, we’re talking about radically transforming how we travel between these two bustling regions.

To have a project of this magnitude come to life thanks to a strong public-private partnership is inspiring. Just look at the numbers: over 35,000 jobs are expected to be created, including 10,000 union construction jobs. This is a huge win, not only for those in the industry but also for local economies and communities, and it sets a precedent for future infrastructure efforts across the country.

Michael Reininger, the CEO of Brightline, really hit the nail on the head with his assertion that this project will “jumpstart the high-speed rail industry in America.” It’s long overdue, and finally, we are moving forward. The Brightline West project won’t just connect cities; it will embody a bold, eco-friendly approach to our transportation challenges—reducing CO2 emissions by over 400,000 tons annually and removing three million cars off the roads that currently choke the I-15.

Imagine this: a seamless, comfortable two-hour journey from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, complete with onboard amenities like food and Wi-Fi. For someone who routinely endures the endless traffic jams on the freeway, the thought of relaxing in a sleek train while taking in the stunning California desert views excites me beyond measure! No more cramped airplane seats or endless hours stuck in a car; we’ll be able to travel in style and comfort.

And it warms my heart to see the emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility. The fact that Brightline West will utilize zero-emission, fully electric trains positions it as the premiere green transportation choice in America. It’s initiatives like these that give me hope for our future and showcase how modern rail can lead the way in combating climate change.

Heavy construction is slated to kick off in 2025, and early groundwork is already ongoing. Crews are busy drilling geotechnical borings along the I-15, and I can practically feel the anticipation in the air! Soon enough, we’ll see new stations sprouting up, including one right in the heart of Las Vegas—a city known for its bright lights and bustling energy!

As someone who often travels for both leisure and business, I am particularly looking forward to the role this project will play as we approach the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Brightline West will undoubtedly serve as an essential transport option for visitors and residents alike, highlighting what a modern transportation system can achieve.

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In closing, there’s so much to be excited about! The Brightline West project calls forth a vision of the future that is connected, rapid, and environmentally conscious. It represents the culmination of years of advocacy, dreaming, and hard work. I look forward to seeing how this journey unfolds as we ride the rails toward a new era in American transportation.

Here’s to the future of rail in America! 🚄🌟

Until next time, happy rail journeys, everyone!

This post is inspired by the recent developments surrounding the Brightline West project.

https://www.brightlinewest.com

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge

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Elizabeth Korver-Glenn, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Sarah Mayorga, Brandeis University

Gentrification has become a familiar story in cities across the United States. The story line typically goes this way: Middle- and upper-income people start moving into a lower-income or poor neighborhood. Housing prices rise in response, and longtime residents and businesses are driven out.

As the U.S. population becomes increasingly urban, gentrification can seem inevitable. However, scholars have found that it’s actually pretty rare.

For example, a study by the nonprofit National Community Reinvestment Coalition that examined neighborhood change from 2000 through 2013 found that most low- and moderate-income neighborhoods across the United States did not gentrify during that period. Just seven cities – New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Diego and Chicago – accounted for almost half of all neighborhood gentrification nationwide.

Why is gentrification less common than many people fear? In our book, “A Good Reputation: How Residents Fight for an American Barrio,” we argue that conflicts over neighborhood reputation are an important factor.

We examined disputes among residents of Northside, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, or barrio, in Houston, over how their neighborhood was perceived. We found that those who thought outsiders stigmatized the barrio, or who stigmatized it themselves, avoided engaging with the neighborhood, its institutions and its residents. This group supported measures that would facilitate gentrification, such as monitoring local bars to file nuisance complaints.

By contrast, those who perceived the barrio as a welcome, desirable space worked to cultivate the neighborhood’s institutions and connect its people, pushing back against attempts to gentrify the area.

Gentrification isn’t linear or automatic

Common understandings of gentrification and urban development often frame these urban processes as natural, linear and even inevitable for low-income neighborhoods. The argument goes that once you see a new Starbucks, or a light rail station in the case of Northside, gentrification is sure to follow.

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Based on our research, however, we argue that when politicians, developers and even residents themselves attempt to develop or redevelop marginalized urban neighborhoods, they spur neighborhood conflicts that, in turn, can greatly influence the redevelopment process.

Northside is one such neighborhood. Located just north of downtown Houston, it has been majority Latino for more than 60 years. It has also been a high-poverty area, with 23% to 38% of its residents living beneath the federal poverty line over this time period.

About one-third of its residents are foreign-born, many of them originating from Mexico or Central America. But most Latino Northsiders are second-, third- or later-generation Mexican Americans or Latino Americans.

The neighborhood consists mainly of single-family homes on small, densely packed urban lots. Some streets have sidewalks and covered drainage systems, while others have open ditches and lack sidewalks. Although the METRO red line train travels along the barrio’s western border and a few busy thoroughfares crisscross the neighborhood, much of the area has a small-town, quiet, residential feel.

Conflicting approaches

As we describe in our book, we found two widespread and conflicting views of Northside among its residents. Interestingly, these views did not easily map onto individual characteristics, such as racial identity or class. People would sometimes change their viewpoints depending on the conflict in question.

One group wanted to cleanse the barrio of what its members saw as negative features, transform the area and prepare the way for gentrification to occur. The other group was intent on celebrating the barrio as it already was and on preserving its character and supporting its residents.

Residents who wanted to remake Northside often believed that it had too many features that they felt were associated with Black or low-income people, such as public housing, cantinas or bars, and services for people without homes. For example, one woman we spoke with cited neighborhood cantinas and housing shelters as evidence that Northside was dangerous.

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These Northsiders wanted to purge and clean the neighborhood to improve what they perceived as its marred image. They sought to remove facilities, such as a Salvation Army shelter, which they believed attracted undesirable people; called for increased police presence in the neighborhood; and avoided local places such as parks and grocery stores, often driving to other neighborhoods instead.

They also attempted to curate what they viewed as respectable behavior, through steps such as installing video cameras and calling on residents to report neighbors whom they believed were dumping trash or failing to neuter and spay their pets.

In contrast, other residents believed that their neighborhood was a welcoming and desirable place. They were proud of its parks, churches, public schools and Mexican restaurants, and they spoke of pivotal moments in Northside’s past to argue for its desirability in the present. One such event was an uprising at Moody Park in 1978 that spurred reforms in the Houston police department and capital improvements to the park.

These residents hosted parties, exercised at local parks and volunteered with public schools and Catholic parishes. Many regularly participated in neighborhood development and nonprofit meetings, and they objected when other speakers cast Northside as a stigmatized place and its residents as the cause of barrio ills.

They also defended Northside against what they saw as threats to its quality of life. As one example, residents sued the owners of White Oak Music Hall, a 5-acre, three-stage concert venue that opened in 2016 on the western edge of the neighborhood. Plaintiffs argued that loud music was interrupting their children’s sleep and decreasing their property values. They won important concessions in a 2018 settlement, including caps on the number of outdoor concerts, installation of sound-monitoring equipment and limits on the number and duration of concerts on school nights.

A different kind of gentrification story

Ultimately, we found that Northside did not gentrify because the conflict between these disparate views of the neighborhood blocked or slowed large-scale redevelopment. Some residents’ attempts to protect and preserve the barrio interrupted developers’ plans – for example, by using Houston’s Code of Ordinances to block the subdivision of existing lots. Other actions, such as the lawsuit against White Oak Music Hall, checked developers’ influence in the area.

Although residents’ efforts to prevent redevelopment did not constitute a full-blown, organized social movement, people who valued Northside as it was successfully challenged the idea that it was a dangerous and unattractive place that needed to be remade, and they worked to preserve the place they called home.

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Other researchers have examined similar struggles in cities including Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago. We think that paying attention to these conflicts in cities of all sizes can provide a deeper understanding of why gentrification succeeds – or, more commonly, why it fails.

Elizabeth Korver-Glenn, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Sarah Mayorga, Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge