Up on the roof: UCLA Downtown debuts as a new forum for civic dialogue in Los Angeles

The outdoor setting of UCLA Downtown's rooftop offered a fitting backdrop for a conversation about Los Angeles: high above the city but still deeply connected to its civic life.

There, Jim Newton, editor-in-chief of UCLA's journal of research and public policy, Blueprint, sat down with LA City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson before an audience of UCLA alumni, civic-minded advocates and journalists. The event, jointly sponsored by Blueprint and CalMatters, was one of the first to make use of the newly renovated, multiuse rooftop space atop the 11-story former Trust Building, the historic art deco landmark on Spring Street that UCLA acquired in 2023.

The Wednesday, June 17, conversation marked the 10th anniversary of Blueprint and underscored the role of UCLA Downtown as a place where the university brings together researchers, public leaders, students, alumni and community members in the heart of the city - just the type of engagement central to the flagship initiatives UCLA Connects and UCLA for Life.

The downtown site, which currently offers UCLA Extension courses, will increasingly house university researchers and community programs that connect to government, civic organizations and neighborhoods near the city center. The rooftop can be configured for community events, learning opportunities and university ceremonies.

"This space was created to bring the university into even closer conversation with Los Angeles, said UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt in his welcoming remarks. "This is a place where research, public leadership and community engagement come together."

The scene in LA: From City Hall to the ballot box

Fresh from a full-day City Council meeting, Harris-Dawson - who represents a council district including Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, Crenshaw and other parts of South Los Angeles - arrived at the evening rooftop interview with Newton carrying the issues dominating civic life in Los Angeles. Over the next hour, he offered an unscripted assessment of a city grappling with questions of governance, housing, political identity, media influence and its future on the world stage.

One topic carried over was a proposal to expand the City Council from 15 to 25 members. Harris-Dawson said he had once favored a larger council but has become more skeptical, describing the issue as a complicated one, involving whether new districts will be drawn and how potential new seats would be rolled out. A citywide initiative on the issue will likely appear on the June 2028 ballot.

A changing city, a changing electorate: What the mayoral race tells us

Turning to the upcoming mayoral runoff between incumbent Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman, Harris-Dawson said he sees the election reflecting the broader demographic and cultural changes reshaping Los Angeles. He described it as a contest between traditional Angelenos, whose families have lived in the city for generations, and newer Angelenos, here less than 15 years, who may bring a different set of priorities and interests.

Housing policy, he said, illustrates those differing perspectives, with those newer Angelenos perhaps lacking the historical context regarding changing the landscape of the city - and specifically the importance of homeownership to Black Angelenos. He referenced Darnell Hunt's 2010 book "Black Los Angeles" and the experiences of his own family, who moved from the South generations ago, when LA was the only big city where Black people could purchase homes.

Discussing the surprise mayoral candidacy of reality television star Spencer Pratt, who placed third in the mayoral primary behind Bass and Raman, Harris-Dawson said Pratt's supporters may disagree on the city's biggest problems, but "they know it doesn't work." He noted that Pratt attracted more support in LA than any Republican in his lifetime, even in South Los Angeles, and predicted those voters would ultimately back the more conservative candidate in the runoff - if they vote at all.

Bass and Raman, he emphasized, share similar positions on many issues but differ notably on housing density. Bass, he added, has prioritized aggressively removing homeless encampments from the streets, while Raman's approach would likely be different.

News, narratives and who shapes public opinion

The conversation also explored how public opinion, and policymaking, are shaped in Los Angeles - and how those dynamics have changed.

Harris-Dawson argued that the weight and influence of traditional media outlets has diminished significantly. Recalling when he worked as a community organizer for Bass, he said it was a requirement to read the newspaper daily; today, he said, there are City Council members who never pick up a paper and rely primarily on social media to understand public sentiment. As a result, coverage in the Los Angeles Times or Los Angeles Daily News, or stories on local TV stations, no longer guarantees public support for a policy.

Harris-Dawson also sought to dispel what he said was misinformation about LA being unprepared for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The local Olympic Organizing Committee, he stressed, has said that LA28 planning is ahead of schedule, particularly in the areas of security and fundraising, and that there is no new construction needed for the event. The larger concern, he said, is whether global conflicts and federal policies will dampen tourism by the time the Games arrive.

As for his goals as president of the council, he said, "I want to be able to say the city is better than I found it, that crime is lower, our communities are safer and our communities are more beautiful … [that] the quality of life in Los Angeles is higher and people and families are more able to reach their potential."