A Tale of Two Cities: L.A. Growth From the Coast to Inland

Santa Monica and Glendale are an unlikely match. One is a coastal city known for its shoreline; the other is an inland hub for large entertainment campuses. However, the two markets are close in age and in similar phases of growth—making them the perfect case study to take a closer look at development policies and public planning.

“Both Glendale and Santa Monica were incorporated a little over a hundred years ago as independent cities from Los Angeles, and generally followed similar growth patterns up until the 1980s,” Alan Loomis, principal of urban design at PlaceWorks, tells GlobeSt.com. “Both cities were connected to downtown Los Angeles via streetcar, and the streetcar routes helped establish the basic business districts we still see today.”