Upzoning the Inland Empire

While most of the discussion surrounding the controversial MORE Homes Act (SB50) has focused on the impact on communities in the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles, the bill could have a tangible impact on neighborhoods in the Inland Empire as well.  In response to the ever-present California housing crisis, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)

California High School CTE Funding

California has become a national leader in providing grants for school districts to improve their CTE programs. But how well have Southern California districts done in capitalizing on available funds and how are districts implementing these funds? In a previous post, the Lowe Down analyzed the Inland Empire’s capacity to prepare workers for the region’s

Is the Parking Meter Price Right?

While policy makers search for a way to cut down traffic in one of the most congested cities in the world, Los Angeles drivers wait. An earlier blog post of the Lowe Down, Is the Commuting Price Right?, explored the per-mile tax idea that policy makers have to cut down on congestion. While this idea

Olympic Infrastructure as Keynesian Stimulus

Since the first international Olympic Games in 1896, the Olympics has served as an opportunity for host cities to boost their economies. Employment surges are largely attributed to sudden increases in jobs needed for preparations, staffing, and construction. As Los Angeles looks to the 2028 Olympics, The Lowe Institute has used data from past Olympics

The Inland Empire’s Middle Income Jobs of the Future

Are the educational opportunities in the Inland Empire in line with the future demands of the labor market? According to a report on the future of middle income jobs, the US as a whole faces a significant mismatch between the skills middle education workers possess and skills required by middle income jobs. In California, there

Trump’s Threats Have No Impact on Chinese Import-Exports in L.A Ports

Much media and political attention has been given to the U.S.-China trade war and speculation about its effect on both economies. General economic intuition would predict the tariffs to have a negative effect on exports and imports leaving and entering U.S. However, data from the L.A. ports points to a different narrative. In this article,

No Roof, No Woof?

About a quarter of all homeless people in the United States live in California, nearly 130,000 on any given day. California also has the highest rate of unsheltered homeless individuals in the nation: 70%. Does lack of veterinary services in Los Angeles County homeless shelters provide a barrier to entry in California? While homeless people

U.S. National Parks Lost Millions During Partial Government Shutdown

The absence of an appropriation bill enacted the Antideficiency Act which forces non-essential government operations, including the National Parks Service, to stop during the shutdown. The National Parks Conservation Association reports the Department of the Interior were able to employ just under 3,300 of the 20,000 NPS employees as “essential staff” to keep National Parks