BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Chloe Shipp, LPM

Progressive Urban Management Associates

Vice President

Suzanne Holley

DTLA Alliance

2nd Vice President

John Caner

Downtown Berkeley Association

Secretary

Andrew Thomas, LPM

Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

Treasurer

Andrew Robinson

The East Cut

Immediate Past President

Austin Metoyer

Downtown Long Beach Alliance

Membership Chair

Kathy Hemmenway

Walnut Creek Downtown

Marketing Chair

Mackenzie Carter, LPM

The Hollywood Partnership

Legislative Chair

Jameson Parker

Midtown Association Sacramento

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS

Chip

Block by Block

Elliott Balch

Downtown Fresno Partnership

Josh Coyne

Downtown San Diego Partnership

Perty Grissett

StreetPlus

Savlan Hauser

Jack London District Oakland

Rena Masten Leddy, LPM

Urban Place Consulting Group

Christian Martin

SOMA West CBD

Eleni Polakoff

Venice Beach BID

Anthony Rodriguez

LA Fashion District

Marisa Rodriguez

Union Square Alliance

Brian Wallace

Pasadena Village Association

IN THE NEWS

San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent

Planetizen

Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.

READ MORE

Los Angeles launches effort to encourage starter homes on city-owned vacant lots

Los Angeles Times

The city of Los Angeles is launching a new initiative to encourage the construction of starter homes on small lots, an effort to provide relatively lower-cost for-sale housing.

READ MORE



New project uncovers the impact of small urban green spaces

SEI

In rapidly growing cities, small urban green spaces – often called “pocket parks” – are emerging as vital spaces for community health and social wellbeing.

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Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing

Planetizen

The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.

READ MORE

Vancouver vs. Surrey: How B.C.'s two biggest cities plan to build their way out of a housing crisis

Vancouver Sun

Vancouver and Surrey have different geography, density and infrastructure. They face different challenges when it comes to where and how to build homes to address the housing crisis.

READ MORE

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Letter from President of the Board, Chloe Shipp

Thank you to all who attended West Coast Urban District Forum (WCUDF) in San Francisco. This year’s conference was the best attended WCUDF to date with over 300 attendees. This event would not be possible without the efforts of the International Downtown Association staff, CDA Board of Directors, and our hosts The East Cut Community Benefit District and the Downtown SF Partnership. Thank you all for making WCUDF possible. 

AT WCUDF, CDA recognized Steve Gibson of Urban Place Consulting with the first Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the revitalization and growth of California’s downtown communities. This prestigious honor celebrates a career dedicated to fostering innovation, creating vibrant public spaces, and enhancing the quality of life in urban centers across the state. 

Gibson, founder and principal of Urban Place Consulting Group, was one of a small team of people who drafted the State legislation that allowed property-owner business improvement districts in California. He has since formed or renewed well over 50 districts in California and has worked in 26 states, 45 cities and 66 districts across the country. Thank you, Steve, for all that you have done for place management in California and beyond! 

If you were inspired at WCUDF to get involved at a state-wide level, or are feeling a little FOMO because you weren’t able to attend the conference, please reach out to me at chloe@pumaworldhq.com to learn more about how you can engage with CDA. 

Sincerely,

Chloe Shipp, LPM

CDA President

Associate Vice President, Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.)

Government Affairs Report by Jason Bryant

Legislators Joined West Coast Urban Forum in San Francisco

As part of the 2025 West Coast Urban District Forum (WCUDF) in San Francisco, CDA hosted a panel discussion featuring Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney of San Francisco to explore key policies shaping the future of California’s downtowns. Jason Bryant, CDA’s legislative advocate, moderated the discussion, which also included Sarah Dennis Phillips, executive director of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

The 45-minute panel focused on the intersection of legislation, economic development and urban revitalization, covering housing policy, public safety, workforce development and strategies to support downtown recovery. Conference attendees heard from state and local leaders on addressing affordability, transportation, economic resilience and the evolving role of urban districts in a post-pandemic world.

CDA Legislative Committee Developing Priorities

As part of CDA’s legislative program, its legislative committee has begun evaluating hundreds of bills to identify the association’s top priorities for the year. While the process is ongoing, several early bills have been identified that could impact business improvement districts (BIDs) and downtowns statewide:

Assembly Bill 736 – Wicks (D-Oakland) / Assembly Bill 417 – Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento)

Proposes a $10 billion affordable housing bond on the June 2026 ballot to fund the state’s affordable housing programs, including rental housing for lower-income families, homeownership opportunities and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Assembly Bill 342 – Haney (D-San Francisco)

Allows alcohol sales until 4:00 am on select days for establishments with an additional serving-hours license, contingent on local governments enacting ordinances to designate specific areas and assess their impact.

Assembly Bill 507 – Haney (D-San Francisco)

Streamlines permitting and approvals, eliminating certain requirements and fees for adaptive reuse projects that meet affordability criteria.

Senate Bill 607 – Wiener (D-San Francisco)

Introduces changes to improve the efficiency of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, exempting many urban infill housing projects from CEQA review to expedite housing and infrastructure development.

Jason Bryant

CDA’s Legislative Advocate

Principal, Bryant Government Affairs

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