TPR is pleased to share an excerpt from a recent conversation between USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim and Stephen Cheung, CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). President Kim reflects on his path to leading the University; how USC is building resilience in a time of uncertainty; and what it means, as one of the largest private employers in Los Angeles, to engage with the wider community as a driver of the regional economy.

Following the Los Angeles City Council’s September 19 approval of the Los Angeles Convention Center modernization and expansion, the Central City Association (CCA) is building on momentum with the launch of Revive DTLA, a 90-day action plan to accelerate economic recovery in Downtown Los Angeles.

In a wide-ranging interview with Jim Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council (BAC), he reflects on his 20-year tenure, during which the Council grew into one of California’s most influential civic organizations. He also introduces New California Coalition, a new statewide effort he helped form to align statewide business, civic, and regional leaders around four urgent priorities: housing, homelessness, water and energy, and jobs and the economy.

In a truly timely TPR interview, the Central City Association’s CEO, Nella McOsker, emphasizes how the city has repeatedly delayed LA Conventional Center expansion efforts since 2016 and is now at a critical juncture, with the Olympics providing both urgency and opportunity.

Dr. Mark Gold, newly appointed leader of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, brings decades of experience in environmental policy, marine science, and interagency collaboration to one of the nation’s most critical ocean monitoring efforts.

In reporting by David Wagner for LAist, TPR excerpts coverage of the Los Angeles City Council’s narrow vote to oppose Senate Bill 79, legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener that would override local land-use restrictions and allow denser housing near major transit stops. The contentious debate highlights ongoing tensions between state housing mandates and local control.

Framing the Civic Center as Los Angeles’ essential “common ground” for governance, culture, and public gathering, Rosenfeld traces its history, highlights past collaborative planning successes, and critiques current decisions that jeopardize its future. He challenges cost studies used to justify agency relocations, contrasting them with successful, lower-cost retrofits of comparable buildings. His central message: preserving and reinvesting in the Civic Center is vital to maintaining civic unity, cultural identity, and functional efficiency for Los Angeles.