The public realm and the resistance of placemaking with Aaron Paley

What happens when you close off miles of city streets to cars—and open them up to people instead? In Los Angeles, that question gave rise to CicLAvia, a now-iconic open streets event that has redefined how Angelenos experience public space.

This week, host Kate Gasparro is joined by Aaron Paley, the co-founder of Community Arts Resources and one of the key visionaries behind CicLAvia. For decades, Aaron has been at the forefront of cultural programming and creative placemaking. His work shows how temporary interventions—when rooted in community, art, and culture—can challenge entrenched ideas about urban life and help us imagine new futures.

Together, Kate and Aaron explore the importance of honoring place-based histories, the challenges of translating temporary events into long-term systems change, and what LA can learn from its recent wildfires, upcoming global events, and the pressures of rapid development.

Throughout the discussion, Aaron reminds us that placemaking is a form of storytelling, resistance, and sometimes, the only tool we have to reclaim the places we call home.

Resources:

Studies reveal CicLAvia's air quality, public health and social impacts (UCLA)

Economic Impacts of CicLAvia: Study Finds Gains to Local Businesses (UCLA)

Ciclovía at 50: What we can learn from Bogotá's Open Streets initiative (World Economic Forum)

Redesigning the California dream with Christopher Hawthorne, LA's Chief Design Officer (KCRW)

Segregation in the City of Angels: A 1939 Map of Housing Inequality in L.A. (PBS SoCal)

Recovery and Rebuilding After Historic L.A. Fires (Los Angeles Conservancy)

Olympic transformation of metropolitan cities- for better or for worse (Brookings)

Heavily armed immigration agents descend on L.A.'s MacArthur Park (LA Times)

Trump names himself chair of L.A. Olympics task force, sees role for military during Games (LA Times)

Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities!
If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow.
You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.
Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.