HEALTHY 'HOODS

Oct. 31 - Nov. 7, 2011

The Healthy 'Hoods series looks at the health and economic consequences of park equity in Los Angeles. Findings suggest deliberate city planning led to a segregation of the poor and parks, leading to higher obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes, and related health-care costs. The story was produced in collaboration with the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, which are administered by the USC Annenberg School.

UPDATE: Less than a month after the project was published, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced an initiative to build 50 pocket parks, starting in South Los Angeles.

Click the map for more information

Part 1 - Healthy 'Hoods: Obesity is a problem in Los Angeles, but South LA suffers more.

Part 2 - Healthy 'Hoods: How do you build a healthy community?

Part 3 - Healthy 'Hoods: Getting Outdoors in South Los Angeles.

Part 4 - Healthy 'Hoods: Leimert Park’s Hidden Passage to Health.

Part 5 - Healthy 'Hoods: Greening South Los Angeles.

Follow up: Starting in South LA, 50 new parks to be built in Los Angeles

This project was made possible through the support of the USC Annenberg Health Journalism Fellowship program, funded by the California Endowment.

LeimertParkBeat.com and SoCal Connected partnered to produce this series.

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HELICOPTER HELLA LOUD

June 29 - July 10, 2011

The Heliocpter Hella Loud series looked at the impacts of helicopter noise – police, media and tourist choppers – on the mental and physical health of residents. The Los Angeles Police Department has the largest air unit in the country and use the noise of the helicopters for crime supression. The helicopter are note used solely for serious crimes, but also vandalism and to make their presence known. Crime is down, but the noise is up.

UPDATE: Less than a month after publication, stories on the issue were written by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News, and a L.A-area congressman announced he would sponsor legislation to reign in helicopter noise.
Click here to launch interactive graphic by Brian Frank 

Part 1 - Helicopter Hella Loud: A Look into the Noise Above Angelenos.

Part 2 - Helicopter Hella Loud: Can the FAA Regulate the Noise Pollution?

Part 3 - Helicopter Hella Loud - Ghettobirds and Low Crime Courtesy of the LAPD.

Part 4 - Helicopter Hella Loud: Community Survey and Next Steps.

Follow up - Continuing Crescendo: Legislation proposed to tackle helicopter noise, national media takes note.

This project was produced in partnership with KCET-TV and funded in part through community contributions raised with the help of Spot.us.

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URBAN ECONOMY

Dec. 1, 2010

The Urban Economy report highlighted dozens of studies over the years that independently assessed the economic health of South Los Angeles. The diagnosis: South L.A. has less crime, more buying power and a lower office vacancy rate than many parts of the city. “The results are surprising,” wrote Jack Kyser, the dean of economic development researchers in Los Angeles. Many developers aren't taking the chance, but that's beginning to change.

Urban Economy 411 - Reputation, not the facts, may be biggest hurdle to economic investment in South L.A. The work was funded in part through community contributions raised with the help of Spot.us.

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REDEVELOPMENT HELL

Sept. 6, 2010

Redevelopment Hell was Leimert Park Beat's first crowd-sourced, crowd-funded investigative report. The team investigated the Santa Barbara Plaza / Marlton Square shopping center, a city redevelopment project that had sat crumbling and largely vacant for a decade

UPDATE: A year later, signs of progress were visible as demolition of the center - the size of 20 football fields - finally began in earnest.

Click for Interactive Map by Brian Frank

Part 1 - Redevelopment Hell: How a prime opportunity for redevelopment in South Los Angeles became the bane of the community.

Part 2 - Redevelopment Hell: One of these things don’t belong - blighted Marlton Square shopping center sits in middle of vibrant neighborhoods.

Follow up - Demolition underway at Marlton Square/Santa Barbara Plaza

Follow up - The Hope of Marlton Square / Santa Barbara Plaza

Leimert Park Beat and Intersections: South LA Report partnered to produce this report and it was funded in part through community contributions raised with the help of Spot.us.