The Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council has named Los Angeles architect Brenda Levin, FAIA (MArch ’76) as one of three recipients of the 2025 GSD Alumni Award, recognizing her exceptional achievements in architecture and preservation.

In a wide-ranging conversation, former Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer contends that West Coast downtowns can recover if their leaders focus on delivery over rhetoric, while insisting on accountability from what he calls “productive progressives.” Blumenauer pushes back on polarized portrayals of his city as a “war zone,” emphasizing peaceful mass demonstrations and judicial checks on federal overreach that affirmed civic resilience. Turning to Los Angeles, Blumenauer cautions that governance “reforms” too often breed fragmentation; what matters most, he argues, is performance and outcomes—not structure.

As Oliver Chi steps into his new role as City Manager for Santa Monica, he speaks to a pivotal moment marked by leadership turnover, financial strain, and a lingering sense of disorder. In conversation with TPR, Chi explains why he chose to take the helm now and details his plan for “realignment” through restoring order, reenergizing city staff, and rebuilding confidence among residents and the business community alike.

At the Urban History Association's Conference in Los Angeles the opening plenary took on a fitting question: What can the rest of urban America learn from the City of Angels? TPR shares David Myers’ introduction of the opening plenary and Brenda Levin’s remarks, tracing how Los Angeles has evolved as both a mirror and a model for confronting inequality, nurturing cultural and immigrant communities, and redefining civic life through its built environment.

After 2.5+ decades of leading CALSTART, John Boesel reflects on how a small California initiative grew into a national force driving zero-emission transportation and clean-tech innovation. He shares lessons from California’s policy leadership and warns that maintaining climate progress will require defending incentives and accelerating investment amid rising global competition.

Former California Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg shares his call to championing the proposed Middle-Class Homeownership and Family Home Construction Act, a 2026 ballot initiative aimed at expanding housing opportunities for middle-income Californians. Calling it a “war for the middle class,” Hertzberg emphasizes its goal: enabling working families and their children to build wealth and remain in California.

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.