Santa Monica’s six-week FIFA World Cup celebration wraps up with COAST 2026 on Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The free, all-ages event will transform more than a mile of Downtown Santa Monica—including the Third Street Promenade,…
Just days after California’s controversial overhaul of its cap-and-trade (called cap-and-invest by Governor Gavin Newsom’s office) program took effect, an environmental justice organization has filed suit (link directly to lawsuit) seeking to overturn the regulations. On July 1, Communities for a…
The Wall Street Journal and MSN checked in on Santa Monica’s economic struggles caused in large part by the decline in retail shopping nationally that’s impacted the Promenade, the global pandemic, and the decline in international tourism in recent years…
(Every week, Santa Monica Next republishes an article from City Manager Oliver Chi’s newsletter) This past week, our team in Community Development published fresh data to our Housing Progress Dashboard which provides the clearest current picture of housing production in…
Councilmember Dan Hall’s latest newsletter argues that Santa Monica’s tourism industry is showing encouraging signs of recovery but faces significant headwinds that require the city to adapt its long-term strategy. While visitor spending, hotel performance, and major events have helped…
Both images by Matthew Stevens. Image above was construction on the north side earlier this week. Image below is the north side yesterday afternoon after work had completed. Ocean Park resident Matthew Stevens has been asking the city to improve…
When we launched Santa Monica Next in 2013, we had a simple idea: create a news site that focused not just on what happened today, but on how today’s decisions shape the future. To do that, we recruited young journalists,…
Back in April, our editor gave an interview to the city of Santa Monica about his experiences bicycling in the city and his excitement for the coming AI enforcement of bike lane laws. Given both that there’s a certain irony…
Learn more about plans for the proposed 1435 Fifth Street affordable housing development at a community open house tomorrow night, Wednesday, July 1, at 6:00 p.m. The project would bring new affordable homes to downtown Santa Monica, replacing a city-owned…
The following is a submission from the City of Santa Monica. Santa Monica’s World Cup fun continues this week as both the Mexico and U.S. teams advance to the Round of 32. WHAT: Enjoy a drink, grab a bite and watch…
Photo: Activists advocate for a $15 minimum wage in Los Angeles in 2015 from Capital and Main. Happy fiscal New Year Santa Monica. Every year on July 1, the minimum and living wages in the City of Santa Monica increase…
Despite ongoing controversy surrounding scheduled passenger service at Santa Monica Airport, JSX is expanding its operations with new nonstop flights to Oakland beginning this fall. The public charter carrier announced this week that it will begin offering up to three…
Assemblymember Rick Zbur’s Assembly Bill 1740 is likely headed for Assembly approval, but the bill lawmakers are considering is far narrower than it was when it was first introduced in February. For months, the legislation was moving through the Senate,…
For the last week, Next has been publishing the responses to one question from the Santa Monica Democratic Club’s candidate questionnaire for candidates seeking seats on the Rent Control Board, SMMUSD School Board, and Santa Monica College Board of Trustees.…
Calbike is rallying behind new legislation that will protect bicycle infrastructure from being removed for purely local political reasons. Senate Bill 569, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), would make it significantly harder for local governments to remove or weaken…
