Los Angeles is a large city that is governed by a mayor-council system. The city is divided into 15 council districts. The city’s elected officials include City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and City Controller Laura Chick. These officials are responsible for the law and justice within city limits. Felonies are prosecuted by the Los Angeles county district attorney.
Historically
The area around Los Angeles was home to Chumash and Tongva Native Americans, as well as Spanish and Mexican settlers. The Mediterranean climate was ideal for agriculture. It also supported citrus and olive trees, which were staples in the Western world. By the early 19th century, Los Angeles had grown to become a self-sustaining farming community.
Today, Los Angeles is made up of many diverse ethnic groups. Until the late twentieth century, the city’s population was predominantly White. From the 1950s onwards, the city’s population shifted to black or Hispanic. The Latino population, formerly concentrated on the Eastside, is now spread throughout the city.
In the early twentieth century, Los Angeles became a financial and industrial giant. The city’s growth accelerated, as did the construction of freeways. In fact, the first century of the 20th century saw a boom in construction, as the city grew beyond its downtown boundaries. Several new suburbs, like Wilmington, San Pedro, and Palms, were created. By the end of the decade, Los Angeles’ population tripled, and by 1928, the city expanded to encompass ninety square miles (233 km2). During the next two decades, Los Angeles began to encircle five independent cities, including the southwestern suburb of Santa Monica.
The repeal of building height limits brought the arrival of a new generation of skyscrapers. The First Interstate Building on Bunker Hill, which reached 62 stories, was the first of these buildings. Its height was soon exceeded by the Library Tower, now called the U.S. Bank Tower. Today, the Wilshire Corridor is lined with tall buildings.
The garment industry also took hold in Los Angeles before the Second World War. Beginning with regional merchandise, the industry eventually became the second largest garment production center in the United States. Floods also altered the course of the Los Angeles River, which used to flow into Santa Monica Bay. In 1835, a violent storm diverted the river to Long Beach.
Geographically
Geographically Los Angeles consists of a large area in southern California with varying topography. Founded in 1781 as a small village, Los Angeles has grown significantly throughout the years. Through successive annexations, the city established an ironclad legal monopoly over the watershed of the Los Angeles River and introduced a new water supply from the Owens River, which rises in the Sierra Nevada.
Los Angeles has many different neighborhoods, which are generally grouped together based on their proximity to the city. In addition to being a metropolis, Los Angeles also has an unusual racial and ethnic diversity. This is in large part due to immigration, although it is also a reflection of the increasing gap between rich and poor.
In the early 20th century, Los Angeles grew rapidly and was joined by neighboring communities, including San Pedro and Wilmington. By 1917, the city tripled in size, incorporating the entire San Fernando Valley and the district of Palms. Between 1922 and 1928, the city grew by another seventy-four square miles, including five independent cities.
The city’s economy is driven by international trade, tourism, agriculture, petroleum, and the entertainment industry. The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies, including Energy Giant Occidental Petroleum, Health Net, and Reliance Steel & Aluminum. It also boasts several large airports and a very busy container port.
Los Angeles is situated in a subtropical climate zone, so the city experiences warm summers and dry winters. During the winter months, Los Angeles can get cold, but its mild climate and cool ocean breezes keep the coasts cooler. During the summer, the city’s temperatures can vary by more than twenty degrees Fahrenheit.
Economically
The Los Angeles County Supervisorial District’s Economic Development report examines the economy and jobs in detail. The report includes information on industry employment trends, well-paying jobs, wages, and demographics. In addition, it provides data on rent burdens and economic trends by city and region. The report provides useful recommendations to help residents and businesses navigate the current economic crisis.
For example, a low-wage industry may have a smaller footprint than a high-wage industry, yet contributes to local wages. Moreover, it is less environmentally destructive than industries with large emissions. The report also looks at how climate change impacts wages and jobs in an industry. By doing so, local governments can better plan for future industry growth and meet their greenhouse gas emission goals.
The LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has more than 10,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines connecting it to valuable energy resources in the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and Desert Southwest. Currently, it serves over four million people. In fact, it is the largest municipal utility in the nation.
LA is one of the world’s largest metropolitan economies and attracts innovative companies from around the world. The city is investing in transportation infrastructure, housing, education, and workforce development in the country. This is a major boon to the city’s economy. As such, the city is developing an economic plan to make the city more competitive.
A high-renewable energy future is possible for LA. The LA100 study includes multiple scenarios to make this a reality. By 2035, renewable energy will provide eighty-four percent of LA’s energy needs and 70 percent of its GHG emissions. The city is also pushing for electrification of transportation and buildings.
Religiously
Los Angeles is one of the least religious cities in the United States, but there are some new churches that are reviving faith in Los Angeles. These churches are reaching out to a diverse population, including young people and various ethnic groups. The Hollywood-based Mosaic church, for example, has thousands of young people as congregants. It has four services every Sunday and promotes its events through social media, including Instagram. Other Los Angeles churches include Reality LA, Hillsong, and Oasis.
One of the oldest congregations in Los Angeles, Sinai Temple was founded in 1906. It is also the largest congregation of Jewish Angelenos in Southern California. The congregation provides community resources to its members, including Jewish and secular education, meaningful social gatherings, Israel advocacy opportunities, and counseling services. This organization also has religious programs and a Jewish community center in the South Bay.
Los Angeles is home to more than 100 religious denominations, ranging from fundamentalist Protestantism to a more tolerant blend of beliefs. Pentecostalism in particular grew in popularity in the 1920s, led by African American preacher William J. Seymour. Seymour’s emphasis on the “baptism of the Spirit” led his congregation to leave their local Baptist church. This led to the formation of Apostolic Faith Mission, which held nighttime and 24-hour services.
The Los Angeles Faith & Ecology Network, which organizes community-based events, works to mobilize faith-based communities to take action on climate change. The group is one of the only interfaith networks in the United States that works to strengthen the voice of faith-based ecological justice advocates. Its latest donation of $10,000 to Habitat LA will celebrate the organization’s 45 years of service to the community.
It has many cultural institutions
Visitors to Los Angeles are spoiled for choice, with a wide variety of museums and galleries displaying a wide range of artwork. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to a world-class collection of historical art, while other cultural institutions include the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Norton Simon Museum. Visitors to Los Angeles are also treated to a wide range of digital artworks and immersive installations. Other cultural institutions in Los Angeles include the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Neon Art. There’s also the Hollywood Museum, which houses the artifacts of famous films. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, meanwhile, showcases the technical aspects of filmmaking.
In addition to museums and galleries, Los Angeles is home to several sculpture gardens. Sculpture parks include the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Park and the American Jewish University. The city also has a large number of private art collections, including those of the Eli Broad and Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation. A new government position, Chief Design Officer, was created in March 2018. This role demonstrates how Los Angeles is thinking differently about urban planning and development.
The Paley Center for Media was established in 1975 by William S. Paley. It is dedicated to preserving American television and radio. The museum includes innovative exhibition spaces, including the Museum of Dream Space. It is also home to a modern art collection, which includes work by Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp and Edward Kienholz.
Los Angeles’ cultural institutions include the Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County, where visitors can learn about the history of the area and see rare exhibits. It also features the La Brea Tar Pits, which have been a popular tourist attraction for decades. These tar pits have produced millions of fossilized Ice Age creatures and are the only active paleontological dig in a major urban city center.
