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Dear AIA Los Angeles Members,
As I write this, we do not yet know who the next Mayor of Los Angeles will be, and final returns are still being tallied on several key measures. Regardless, the results of this week's elections have given us much to think about. Across the country, the so-called blue wave (or bluenamiiiii, as a friend texted) represents something worth considering beyond the political moment itself: a clear desire for change, a renewed expectation of accountability, and an appetite for a different kind of leadership.
This is a historic opportunity and a call to action, not simply for those elected to office, but for all of us who have a stake in the future of our communities.
For Los Angeles, this is an especially important moment. We are all aware of the deeply interconnected challenges around housing affordability, homelessness, public safety, climate resilience, infrastructure, and the vitality of our neighborhoods. Perhaps, fingers crossed, we are finally reaching the point where we can no longer accept conventional approaches to addressing them. We have an opportunity to rethink not just how we solve individual problems, but how we envision the city as a whole.
There are interesting signals in the specific choices voters have made. Here in Los Angeles, the ballot included measures addressing the very structure of city government, from the Planning Department and infrastructure funding to parks, public utilities, and governance. The results suggest considerable support for reexamining how our city operates and delivers the services that shape our daily lives. The question is not only what we want our city to become, but whether the systems we have in place are capable of getting us there.
At the state level, support for new housing investment through Propositions 1 and 37 reinforces the importance of expanding housing opportunities and addressing affordability. These are not simply housing policy questions. They are questions about who gets to live in our city, who has access to opportunity, and what kinds of communities we are creating for future generations.
And the close mayoral contest reminds us that leadership comes with significant expectations. Angelenos want a city that works, that can turn ambitious ideas into visible progress and demonstrate accountability to the people it serves.
Taken together, these developments invite us to think more expansively about the relationship between public policy, civic leadership, and the built environment. How do we put people more firmly at the center of decision-making? Create neighborhoods that are more inclusive, connected, and livable? Rethink how we use our land, public spaces, and infrastructure? Build a city where housing, mobility, culture, economic opportunity, and environmental responsibility are understood as interconnected parts of a larger vision?
As architects, we are uniquely positioned to help shape this conversation. We influence far more than the buildings we design. We help determine how people experience their neighborhoods, access opportunity, interact with one another, and participate in civic life. That expertise gives us both a voice and an obligation to contribute to the larger public conversation.
Getting there means rebuilding trust between our institutions and the people they serve. Meaningful change requires listening, transparency, accountability, and a genuine willingness to engage the communities affected by the decisions we make.
And accountability goes both ways. We should expect more from our elected officials, but we should also expect more from ourselves as a profession. We need to be willing to challenge conventional thinking and bring forward ideas that may not fit neatly within existing systems.
An election can signal a desire for change, but it is what we do afterward that will define its impact. The wave we're seeing across the country and here in Los Angeles presents an opportunity to shape a future that is more equitable, resilient, beautiful, and responsive to the people who call it home.
Ultimately, a city is judged not by its plans or promises, but by how well it works for the people who live in it. This is Los Angeles, after all. We know a thing or two about catching a wave.
Sincerely,
Toni Lewis, AIA, LEED AP, CASp
President
AIA Los Angeles
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