How can L.A. house more people and make transportation safer, more accessible? InterActions LA inspires solutions

By JOEY WALDINGER

Los Angeles is pursuing ambitious reforms to its most pressing housing and transportation challenges, but entrenched interests, recent natural disasters, and an unpredictable federal government have created barriers to progress.

At the 2025 InterActions LA: Advancing Housing and Transportation Solution — held on March 10 at The California Endowment — elected officials and policymakers from across Greater Los Angeles learned how they can move forward despite these obstacles.

By examining case studies from cities with similar challenges and sharing local successes, the panelists and audience members helped envision a future for a more equitable and sustainable Los Angeles.

Darrell Steinberg, former mayor of Sacramento and past President pro Tempore of the California Senate, challenged the audience to consider a critical question: Is transformational change in housing, transportation and climate policy truly possible? His answer was clear: “Of course, it’s possible.”

Reflecting on his own career, Steinberg shared pivotal moments when bold action led to significant policy advancements — what was once seen as controversial, like visitation rights for domestic partners, is now commonplace. He highlighted other state and local measures that faced initial resistance, from climate climate goals to mental health funding and housing reforms.

“Change happens when the cause, the need, and the demand is so overwhelming that those who lead have no real choice than to make the change actually happen,” Steinberg said.

Yet he urged the audience to confront a deeper question: Is safe, quality housing for everyone truly as important as we claim it to be?

“If we are going to have a legal right to housing or a legal obligation to produce — not just plan for — more housing, then zoning and state law must consciously seek to include, not exclude,” Steinberg said. “If cities, counties and states do not make these conscious choices, then let’s at least admit that housing everyone is not nearly as important as our righteous anger makes it out to be.”

Building a more accessible and equitable city

L.A. faces significant challenges in both housing and transportation, but forward-thinking strategies can help create a city where everyone has access to stable housing and reliable transportation.

The high cost of housing has pushed many Angelenos farther from job centers, worsening traffic congestion and deepening economic divides. Spokane’s planning director, Spencer Gardner, shared how the city’s inclusionary zoning policies focus on regulating the structure of new developments rather than the number of units, making it easier to build in neighborhoods previously zoned for single-family use — and ramping up production to serve a growing population.

Portland has taken a similar approach. Dory Hellyer, development incentives manager at the Portland Housing Bureau, described the key decisions and trade-offs involved in rolling out Portland’s inclusionary housing program. The city had to balance various incentives and regulatory measures to encourage affordable housing while maintaining feasibility for developers.

Mahdi Manji, public policy director at the Inner City Law Center, emphasized that exclusionary zoning policies have concentrated poverty and other negative outcomes in low-income communities and communities of color, making reform essential for achieving housing equity in Los Angeles.

But building housing isn’t enough — access to safe, efficient transportation is just as critical. As L.A. prepares to host numerous mega events, including the “transit-first” 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the urgency of improving mobility for all has come into focus.

Portland’s transportation wallet is one example of expanding mobility access. Madeline Feig, transportation wallet program coordinator, emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation, with community-based organizations helping low-income residents access the wallet.

Another example highlighted was Hoboken’s approach to pedestrian safety, known as “daylighting,” which improves visibility at crosswalks through simple design changes. These efforts have helped the city record zero traffic deaths since 2017. While acknowledging the geographic and demographic differences between the Hoboken and L.A., transportation planner Greg Francese offered practical tips for cities looking to follow its lead: start small and be flexible, prioritize the most vulnerable user, and improve street functionality.

Alfonso Directo Jr., advocacy director at ACT-LA, underscored the need for L.A. to take a similarly holistic approach — leveraging interagency collaboration and scalable solutions to make streets safer and transit more accessible for all.

Making change happen locally

InterActions LA considered case studies from Portland, Spokane and Hoboken to inspire local solutions. During a panel of local leaders, elected officials from three cities shared how Greater L.A. is already making progress — while acknowledging the challenges of building political will during a polarized time.

L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman said some of L.A.’s recent challenges, including the struggle to get a certified housing element and the January wildfires, present opportunities for progress, especially for increasing housing capacity.

“I think we have an opportunity to say … can we now really think about how we can use every tool available to us to push for more housing?” Raman said. “I think that conversation has also opened up to us in ways that if managed correctly, and if we utilize every opportunity, will be very productive.”

Raman was joined by fellow councilmembers Jed Leano (Claremont) and Jesse Zwick (Santa Monica), who’s also a UCLA master’s of urban and regional planning student.

Evelyn Blumenberg, professor and director of the Lewis Center, said that in these times we have to lead with our commitment and values.

“I think that courage is coming from the elected officials that we just heard from. It’s from planners who are doing the work. It’s from residents who stand up and say, ‘It’s okay that my neighborhood is changing. I like that we have more multifamily housing, more transit options.'”

A recording of the day’s sessions, along with links to speaker presentations, is available online here.

Photo: Local leader panel moderated by Lewis Center director Evelyn Blumenberg (left) and councilmembers Jed Leano, Nithya Raman, Jesse Zwick. Credit: Joey Waldinger