Late last month, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield took another key step in shedding its U.S. assets, selling The Village shopping mall in Warner Center to L.A. Rams owner Stan Kroenke for $325 million. Combined with prior acquisitions of the neighboring Promenade Mall and Anthem-Blue Cross sites, Kroenke now controls approximately 100 acres of property within the Warner Center area, potentially setting the stage for a sprawling mixed-use development centered on a new practice facility for the Rams.

Here's what we're reading this week

February 26 route for CicLAviaCicLAvia

CicLAvia—The Valley "On Sunday, February 26 (rain or shine!), we're opening up Sherman Way from Canoga Park through Winnetka and into Reseda for a 5-mile stretch of open streets. Jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route however you want. Our routes are welcoming to people of all ages and abilities!" (CicLAvia)

A community garden in Watts provides solace, fresh produce for immigrants "They come to this 11-block strip of land, framed by electricity towers at 109th Street, west of the Nickerson Gardens housing development, to feel the soil between their fingers, to watch the plants grow, to marvel at the orange butterflies, to remind themselves of home." (LA Times)

Long Beach pursues a new approach to affordable housing: a community land trust "While community land trusts can take many forms, ranging from green space to commercial development, what Long Beach would likely adapt would be a tenants model, where Housing for All Long Beach Community Land Trust would tentatively purchase an existing apartment or mixed-use building, and lease out its units, while maintaining ownership of the land itself." (Long Beach Business Journal)

Eyes on the Street: Short Leland Way Protected Bikeway in Burbank "The city converted Leland to a one-way street, retained car parking on just the residential side, and added landscaping and the bikeway on the other side." (Streetsblog LA)

Metro to host Telephone Town Hall on Jan. 17 to discuss upcoming 2023-2024 budget process (The Source)

Lack of affordable housing in ‘superstar cities’ like LA exacerbate homelessness "LA’s growing homelessness crisis was the major issue in last year’s mayoral race — so much so that newly-elected Mayor Karen Bass has already declared a state of emergency, and directed local agencies to fast-track affordable housing and shelter applications." (KCRW)

Family to sell Bruce’s Beach property back to L.A. County for nearly $20 million "Attorney George Fatheree, who represents the family, said in an interview the sale was not unexpected and the family had always wanted to have the option to sell the property back to the county. He emphasized the sale was still a victory for the Bruce descendants, who would no longer have the land their grandparents were robbed of but instead the money they should have inherited. " (LA Times)

California Relaxes Parking Mandates to Free Up Multifamily Development—But Will Neighbors and Lenders Approve? 'In addition to California’s statewide move, major cities have already removed many parking mandates. San Jose, which studies have shown to be one of the most “overparked” cities in the state, recently reversed its policy requiring extensive parking for both commercial and residential development. San Francisco and San Diego recently eliminated parking minimums altogether. In 2016, Oakland removed parking requirements near major transit corridors. Los Angeles has no citywide elimination of mandates, but does encourage significantly reduced parking at affordable/supportive housing developments and transit-oriented developments.' (ULI)