Public policy planners and artists have influenced gentrification and neighborhood demographics. The document discusses this relationship, with keywords including gentrification, artists, and the poor. It also explores the Traction, Hewitt, Fourth Street neighborhood in Downtown LA, which has attracted a growing tech scene alongside artists through colorful murals. New apartment complexes have sprung up catering to professionals in tech and other fields, driving rents upwards of $1,300-3,000 per month.

1. Public policy, art, and
neighborhoods
Urban planners, academics, politicians, and
community members discuss neighborhood
demographics. Keywords include
gentrification, artists, and the poor.
However, sometimes overlooked is the
relationship between public policy planners
and artists and gentrification, a topic
explored by Casellas, Dot-Jutgla, and
Palleras-Barbera (http://scholar.harvard.edu/
files/montserrat-pallares-barbera/files/
urbani-izziv-en-2012-23-
supplement-1-010_artist.pdf).
Art, public policy, and
technology
Walking through the Traction, Hewitt, Fourth
Street neighborhood, on a Friday night one
sees young adults getting off of work and
heading to a local restaurant for coffee, or a
cold drink and a meal. Teenagers on
skateboards come and go from the local
arcade. Parking spaces charging a top fee of
$10, with a guaranteed discount if one parks
40 minutes or less, entice non-locals who do
not wish to pay on-street metered parking.
The nearest metro station is about four
blocks away, but lack of signage makes it
somewhat confusing to know which way to
go to catch the train. During the week, it is
possible to attend meetings with local public
servants, technology start-up entrepreneurs,
and data scientists.
Getting there
Traction Ave. Arts District in #DTLA
Located between Skid Row and the LA
River is the neighborhood of Traction
Avenue and Hewitt Street. Colorful
murals continue attracting people to the
neighborhood (Dambrot, http://
www.laweekly.com/calendar/a-poem-
grows-on-traction-avenue-4137202).
The cost of rent
LA’s growing technology scene, sometimes
called “Tech-LA, or Silicon Beach,” attracts data
analysis, web and software developers, public
policy analysts, and community advocates. New
apartment complexes spring up in
neighborhoods such as Traction and Hewitt with
rents typically between $1,300 and $3,000+.
ARTS DISTRICT
#DTLA
A historic neighborhood, blocks from
Skid Row, with murals, artists, workers,
techies, plus new construction.

2. Echoes of a beatnik past in
#DTLA
Notable places to visit:
American Hotel
Hub LA
Experience co-working,
coffee shops, and the
emerging #TechLA scene
(Below: Hub LA)
A working community
Small businesses like
coffee shops,
restaurants, convenience
stores, and a game-
arcade bring young
workers to the area.
Next door to Skid Row
Spaces like Hub LA,
pictured below, provide
opportunities for people
to share work space and
host events.
Parking
Metered street parking
is available, and so is lot
parking. However, lot
parking is based on a
sliding scale to a
maximum of $10 past
40-minutes. Bring cash.
About
This brochure is part of
a cultural studies project
by Gail Taylor, MA,
publisher of
altscholar.org.. Contact:
(937) 271-1010,
gdtwriter@gmail.com.
Hub LA
Civic leaders, web developers, and start-up culture
aficionados travel to Downtown LA's Hub LA on
Traction Avenue for regular meet-ups and co-
working events. Organizations like Hack for LA, City
of Los Angeles, FWD.us, and Organizing for Action
(OFA) collaborate on civic initiatives such as
Immigrant Heritage Month. The space is gritty,
authentic LA, and perfect for brainstorming and
networking.