Director's Report 2022

The purpose of the Lewis Center is to influence public policy and planning to improve the quality of life for residents in the Los Angeles region, especially those most vulnerable. Given the challenging times we live in, this mandate has never been more pressing. The Lewis Center has been actively involved in efforts to address the affordable housing crisis, provide transportation services for households with limited access to regional opportunities, and generate economic opportunity. I’m excited (and proud) that each year our hard work attracts a growing and diverse audience. A few highlights from this year include participation in the California 100 project on the future of housing in California, a blockbuster event on inclusive approaches to electric carsharing, understanding how economic development intersects with public space constraints, and growth in our financial support of Luskin graduate students. As always, we look forward to engaging with you as we expand our portfolio of research and events — on campus, online, and throughout the LA region. Evelyn Blumenberg Director

Electric carsharing holds enormous potential for our cities. They provide safe, clean, and convenient ways to travel, and — for those unable to afford personal vehicles — they increase access to opportunities.

Over the past five years, a new wave of carsharing services using electric vehicles has emerged — with promising applications for the future of sustainable transportation.

During the Lewis Center’s annual  InterActions LA  conference, experts and industry leaders discussed the strengths of EV carsharing programs and their role in driving greater transportation equity.

“Access to a car is essential, and we exacerbate existing inequities when our climate conversation only focuses on the need for people to drive less.”

– Seleta Reynolds Former General Manager, LADOT

To chart the path toward a fair and sustainable future for California, researchers from the Lewis Center, cityLAB UCLA, and the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation investigated circumstances in California’s history that have led to current housing conditions.

In this  California 100  initiative report, the researchers proposed four alternative scenarios based on decisions made along two interrelated factors – how much housing we build and where, and how deeply we value and prioritize social and racial equity.

We partnered with the  (un)common Public Space Group , a collective of UCLA doctoral students that activate public space with and for underrepresented and underserved communities in pursuit of spatial justice to produce events, and we worked alongside  cityLAB UCLA  to evaluate existing public spaces.