I .
UCLA CENTER FOR
THE CALIFORNIA PROJECT
REGIONAL POLICY STUDIES
/
' -UCLA has announced the gift of a $5 million
A symposium sponsored jointly by
York or Chicago. Over the past decade new
endowment from alumni Ralph and Goldy
scholarship, ranging in subject from World
Angeles. San Diego and San Francisco last
Lewis 10 create a new Center for Regional
City formation to the politics of growth control
Ja~uary
Policy Studies. The Cenler, organized as a
and problems of homelessness. has focused
associations of
~om8n
in architecture in Los
sat a precedent for the proposed
annual event which seeks to provide a
university-wide. multidisciplinary jesearch I
attention on Los Angeles. Scholars now
statewide lo~um for issues affecting women
community, will be based at the Graduate
reaJize that the city is a center of tremendous
in archifacture.
School of Archit e'cture and Planning, where
cultural transformations and thus a new kind
existing interdisciplinary and policy-related
of city necessitating-serious research. The
\ Discussion focused on the potential of, a
research activities Will provide a foundation
future statewide organization for these
for the new Center's projects.
Center will allow for such work to be done in , a thorough and public manner, and will)lelp
groups. Proposed roles lor such an
us to understand Los Angeles as a leading
association included: a professional support
The Center will promote and coordinate
network \0 increase access to existing
research and teaChing on regional Los
opportunities and create new ones; a ~mmunicalion network to disseminate
through seminars, research symposia, policy
informatIOn, thereby expanding awareness of
workshops. dem~>nstration projects and
relevant social and economic issues; a
publications.
IObbyin~
organization to effect political
change related to women's, minority. and
metropolis of the 21st century.
Angeles issues. II will carry out its task
,
The exarfunation of public policy, planning
social issues; an institutional resource 10
and urban design at the regional level will
promote women's professional and public
target problems linked to this region's rapid
Christine Cinciripini
I
~
visibility, fostering better understanding. of
economic and population growth. Professors
their roles and contribuling to the building of
Paul Ong and Edward Soja of the Urban Planning Program. for instance. have
a fem inist practice.
proposed a symposium on urban poverty in a But the question remains •• can such an
Los Angeles where. more than in any ottler
organization strike a balance between its role
metropolitan/egion, poverty has escalated in
as a special interest group serving the needs
a climate 01 manufacturing expansion and
of its membership and the obligation to
employment growth.
become an effective participant in the public realm ~uniting
the efforts of professionals in
community service?
The Center will also support and provide a
f
forum for what has been termed the new
,. Christine Cinciripini
,
'school' of Los Angeles. Los Angeies has, until recently, been viewed as an exception to other American metropolises. This perception has r!Jsulted in its receiving far tess scholarly attention than more lypical' cities like New
(