“After the recent opening of Americana at Brand, the latest ersatz-urban shopping extravaganza from developer Caruso Affiliated, Glendale is turning to a more genuine approach to the public realm. Under Director Hassan Haghani, the Glendale Planning Department is not promoting more mega-developments but rather intends to enhance existing urban character with the establishment of its own Urban Design Studio.

‘As a city, Glendale has been more comfortable with a slow, steady evolution without branding itself,’ said Principal Urban Designer Alan Loomis. ‘We are challenging the architects who work here to produce better work than they might have been accustomed to when they came to Glendale five or ten years ago,” said Loomis. ‘We’re trying to push Glendale into that echelon of cities like West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, where architects want to do their best work.‘”

California Planning & Development Report profiles Glendale’s Urban Design Studio.