terra non firma

mid week linkage

this week has been hectic since I leave for new york tomorrow for two weeks, so blogging may be intermittent while I freeze my ass off. no seriously, I wept when I checked the 10-day forecast and my wardrobe is woefully unprepared. last time I went home, I packed an extra suitcase just for shoes but with the temperature in the 20s, the footwear options are sadly limited. but I digress. a few links of interest before I pack:

• Venice Paper has asked a panel of architects to name the most significant architectural achievement of 2005 that will impact the future of LA's architecture. not surprisingly, more than one mentioned thom mayne's pritzker prize. there seems to be an inordinate amount of hometown pride in mayne but another popular theme is sustainability.
• as LA deals with the inevitable dissonance that takes place as downtown gentrifies but skid row worsens, the latimes looks at how Santa Monica has dealt with the homeless, providing counseling, housing assistance and aid for the mentally ill.
• The National Low Income Housing Coalition looks at the disparity between income and housing rent that widens each year. according to its report, Out of Reach 2005, calculates "the hourly wage that someone must earn - working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year -- to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private local housing market in every state, metropolitan area and county in the country." Guess where California ranks? just slightly more affordable than hawai'i - the least affordable state in the country. in terms of counties, CA counties represent the top 8 least affordable jurisdictions.
  

posted by marissa @ 7:52 AM