Westwood in 1941

Background

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Not unlike UCLA being dubbed “the twig” in its early years, as a branch (and upstart!) of the University of California for serving California’s rapidly growing populace, Westwood’s present revitalization also springs from a call to action to better serve a community. The Olympic Games coming in 2028 and the Westwood metro link by 2027 were part of the makings and details that set the stage for what’s now afoot on UCLA’s front porch. A further catalyst was the recognition on the part of Michael and other Westwood residents of significant shortfalls in their community life: the vacuum of entertainment requiring them to commute in search of fun, when they’d hoped instead to enjoy life right in Westwood while also revitalizing the village. More importantly, the profound shortage of housing they saw necessitating tens of thousands of those working and/or studying to commute to Westwood from afar (creating traffic, parking shortages, and pollution plus depriving local businesses of untold revenue) or go deeply into debt affording often poorly-maintained and overcrowded Westwood apartments. They felt it was time for a Westwood Council that said “yes!” to housing, entertainment and student-friendly businesses; time for a council that promoted accessibility and inclusivity which centered the community around human beings vs. vehicles; time for bike lanes, pedestrian plazas, and community spaces. In short, time to move Westwood Forward! To accomplish this, a Westwood Forward coalition of student, business leaders and local residents formed which successfully petitioned the City of Los Angeles to recognize a new neighborhood council by garnering the vote of over 57% of local stakeholders.