May 21, 2010

LURN-ing to 'Friend-Raise'

The Los Angeles Urban Renewal Network, a coalition of local professionals seeking to revitalize under-served communities, hosted a “friend-raiser” on May 13, in downtown Los Angeles. The group was founded a year ago by Alfred Fraijo Jr., a partner in the Los Angeles office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton. The purpose of the event was to gather like-minded professionals for networking. Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti invited more than 100 attendees to join in advancing the network’s mission – the development of sustainable communities, social change and comprehensive regional planning through urban planning. LURN’s board members spoke about their current projects and how the mix of attorneys, architects, urban planners, and entrepreneurs at the event could aid the effort with monetary or professional contributions. The network’s initiatives include a small-scale affordable housing project and a research project in partnership with the University of Southern California that will seek more sustainable business plans for street vendors.