USC Dornsife News

Many L.A. points of interest are hitting their centenary this year. Historian Phil Ethington explains how the 1920’s shaped today’s City of Angels.

The Los Angeles Service Academy based at the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West celebrates 10 years in action.

L.A.’s early 20th-century “Water Wars” over access to the precious H2O needed to fuel the city’s growth included a web of corruption and lies that inspired one of the most celebrated noir movies of all time: ‘Chinatown.’

A beloved Los Angeles landmark, the Nayarit, founded by the grandmother of USC Dornsife historian Natalia Molina, fed the senses — not only with its acclaimed regional Mexican cuisine but also by providing a haven where the marginalized could feel seen and find belonging.

The latest survey on sustainability and resilience also reveals a big increase in the number of Los Angeles County residents who say their next car is likely to be electric. [3 min read]

Jessica Bellamy ’14, now a master’s degree candidate at USC Roski, uses paint and paintbrush to make sense of the “dystopian utopia” of Los Angeles. [5 min read]

The second annual USC Dornsife-Union Bank LABarometer livability survey also reveals that while Angelenos continue to be less satisfied with their quality of life compared to all California residents and people throughout the country, they perceive there to be less crime, vandalism, and drug and alcohol use in their neighborhoods than they did in 2019. [5 min read]

USC Dornsife faculty members and 40 other experts from diverse fields produce a report on commemorating triumphant and tragic moments in L.A.’s history. [4½ min read]

COVID-19 exposed considerable vulnerabilities in Los Angeles County, according to a new report from the Committee for Greater LA and the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute. The report suggests there’s no better time than the present to correct them. [5¾ min read]