Neal Payton, FAIA, FCNU
@nealip.bsky.social
Architect and Neighborhood Maker,
Cities should have the form and density to make them more convenient to walk in than to drive. You can’t address climate change without acting on that.
Cities should have the form and density to make them more convenient to walk in than to drive. You can’t address climate change without acting on that.
Look at the caption. Yikes. The ad tries to make you like the concept of 24-7 surveillance by government or even non-government (just as scary) with the promise of attending a football game or concert without the drudgery of carrying a physical ticket (or iPhone). Uggh!
September 5, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Look at the caption. Yikes. The ad tries to make you like the concept of 24-7 surveillance by government or even non-government (just as scary) with the promise of attending a football game or concert without the drudgery of carrying a physical ticket (or iPhone). Uggh!
1/10
It is my understanding that President Trump is going to declare a national housing emergency. On this, I am in complete agreement with the president, but I am trying to understand what levers the federal government has at its disposal. #housingcrisis #housing
It is my understanding that President Trump is going to declare a national housing emergency. On this, I am in complete agreement with the president, but I am trying to understand what levers the federal government has at its disposal. #housingcrisis #housing
September 2, 2025 at 11:35 PM
1/10
It is my understanding that President Trump is going to declare a national housing emergency. On this, I am in complete agreement with the president, but I am trying to understand what levers the federal government has at its disposal. #housingcrisis #housing
It is my understanding that President Trump is going to declare a national housing emergency. On this, I am in complete agreement with the president, but I am trying to understand what levers the federal government has at its disposal. #housingcrisis #housing
This is huge! calmatters.org/housing/2025...
One of the biggest obstacles to building new housing in California has now vanished
After a decade of battling, lawmakers just exempted infill urban development from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.
calmatters.org
July 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This is huge! calmatters.org/housing/2025...
I am honored to have been appointed by Governor Newsom to serve on the California State Historical Resources Commission www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/27/g...
Governor Newsom announces appointments 6.27.25 | Governor of California
www.gov.ca.gov
June 28, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I am honored to have been appointed by Governor Newsom to serve on the California State Historical Resources Commission www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/27/g...
1/ To those outside of southern California who’ve reached out to see if I’m okay, yes, it’s all good. Over the weekend, there were mass protests in reaction to an ICE/DHS campaign that’s focusing on Southern California. They were for the most part peaceful, with a few incidents like always.
June 9, 2025 at 5:23 PM
1/ To those outside of southern California who’ve reached out to see if I’m okay, yes, it’s all good. Over the weekend, there were mass protests in reaction to an ICE/DHS campaign that’s focusing on Southern California. They were for the most part peaceful, with a few incidents like always.
These days I don’t agree with Elon very much, but his complaint that cutting off subsidies for EVs and their required infrastructure, but leaving in place subsidies for oil and natural gas production is a crime. Why not cut it all?
June 6, 2025 at 5:45 PM
These days I don’t agree with Elon very much, but his complaint that cutting off subsidies for EVs and their required infrastructure, but leaving in place subsidies for oil and natural gas production is a crime. Why not cut it all?
Thanks @SteveWright for your excellent article on resilient design and including my perspectives on post-fire rebuilding in LA www.nar.realtor/on-common-gr...
Exploring Resiliency and Sustainability Design
Planners, architects, builders, developers, REALTORS® and even insurance companies are rallying to get a handle on resilient design.
www.nar.realtor
June 2, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Thanks @SteveWright for your excellent article on resilient design and including my perspectives on post-fire rebuilding in LA www.nar.realtor/on-common-gr...
1/1 To run a country like a business then you need to
recognize that successful businesses grow on the basis of relationships NOT transactions. But the president doesn’t know that. He’s never built a successful business.
recognize that successful businesses grow on the basis of relationships NOT transactions. But the president doesn’t know that. He’s never built a successful business.
May 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
1/1 To run a country like a business then you need to
recognize that successful businesses grow on the basis of relationships NOT transactions. But the president doesn’t know that. He’s never built a successful business.
recognize that successful businesses grow on the basis of relationships NOT transactions. But the president doesn’t know that. He’s never built a successful business.
Excellent analysis showing how some counter intuitive strategies paid off. Against prevailing wisdom, certain trees, and certain growing patterns actually provided protection to structures. dirt.asla.org/2025/04/01/w...
With a Landscape Approach, We Can Reduce the Risk of the Next Wildfire Disaster
By Ronnie Siegel The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) is the area where the built environment meets wildlands. We can reduce the risk of WUI wildfires with a landscape approach. This involves underst…
dirt.asla.org
April 11, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Excellent analysis showing how some counter intuitive strategies paid off. Against prevailing wisdom, certain trees, and certain growing patterns actually provided protection to structures. dirt.asla.org/2025/04/01/w...
This is a podcast about cycling called “Bike Talk” for which I was interviewed about my thoughts on rebuilding in LA post fires in a more pedestrian and bike friendly manner. I’m on at 23:17 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
#2513 State of the Union, Rebuilding a bike-oriented LA, and Bike storage as key
Podcast Episode · Bike Talk · 04/02/2025 · 58m
podcasts.apple.com
April 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
This is a podcast about cycling called “Bike Talk” for which I was interviewed about my thoughts on rebuilding in LA post fires in a more pedestrian and bike friendly manner. I’m on at 23:17 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
April 3, 2025 at 6:01 PM
To be fair, I have, on occasion sent texts to the wrong person, over unsecured chat services. I mean it happens. However, it almost never involved top secret information about intended military targets or payloads www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Top Trump Officials Debated War Plans on Unclassified Chat Shared With Journalist
The texts on the Signal encrypted messaging service revealed disagreements about whether to strike Houthis in Yemen.
www.wsj.com
March 24, 2025 at 7:37 PM
To be fair, I have, on occasion sent texts to the wrong person, over unsecured chat services. I mean it happens. However, it almost never involved top secret information about intended military targets or payloads www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Coming on March 26 at 6pm EDT (3PM PDT)
March 18, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Coming on March 26 at 6pm EDT (3PM PDT)
1/3 Please note: tariffs are not a tax on Canada. They are a tax on us in the U.S. Today we heard that there is approximately $200k of steel in production in Canada for a project we designed that is currently under construction.
March 13, 2025 at 10:26 PM
1/3 Please note: tariffs are not a tax on Canada. They are a tax on us in the U.S. Today we heard that there is approximately $200k of steel in production in Canada for a project we designed that is currently under construction.
Here’s a link to a panel on Wildfire Recovery in which I participated along with Barry Long, Kate Blystone and Rob Steuteville. I discussed the opportunity for redevelopment of the neighborhood centers of Pacific Palisades and Altadena #LAFires
nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
Wildfire Recovery and Planning
Planning and urban design experts discuss recovery from wildfires relative to the LA fire disasters and wildfire recovery and planning in general. The panel included Neal Payton of Torti Gallas, Barry Long of Urban Design Associates, and Kate Blystone of Maui County. The moderator was Robert Steuteville.
nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
March 5, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Here’s a link to a panel on Wildfire Recovery in which I participated along with Barry Long, Kate Blystone and Rob Steuteville. I discussed the opportunity for redevelopment of the neighborhood centers of Pacific Palisades and Altadena #LAFires
nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
I don’t think that Trump understands how math works. He said, "In just over one month, illegal border crossings have plummeted by numbers that nobody has actually ever seen before. It’s much more than 100 percent," No one has ever seen it before because it is not mathematically possible.
February 27, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I don’t think that Trump understands how math works. He said, "In just over one month, illegal border crossings have plummeted by numbers that nobody has actually ever seen before. It’s much more than 100 percent," No one has ever seen it before because it is not mathematically possible.
Next Tuesday, March 4 at 12pm ET, On the Park Bench webinar: “Wildfire Recovery and Planning.” Panelists Neal Payton, Barry Long, Kate Blystone, and Martin Dreiling will discuss recovery from the LA fire disasters and urban planning related to wildfires. Register @ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
February 27, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Next Tuesday, March 4 at 12pm ET, On the Park Bench webinar: “Wildfire Recovery and Planning.” Panelists Neal Payton, Barry Long, Kate Blystone, and Martin Dreiling will discuss recovery from the LA fire disasters and urban planning related to wildfires. Register @ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
A project that we Torti Gallas + Partners are very proud of for its design also is being discussed for its innovative financing allowing 30% affordable apartments in Downtown DC. The unique financing had design implications that were accommodated seamlessly. www.multihousingnews.com/increasing-d...
Increasing DC's Affordable Housing Stock Through Unique Financing Solutions
Affordable Homes & Communities' Paul Bernard on The Westerly in D.C. and the complexities of developing mixed-income, mixed-use communities.
www.multihousingnews.com
February 25, 2025 at 3:35 AM
A project that we Torti Gallas + Partners are very proud of for its design also is being discussed for its innovative financing allowing 30% affordable apartments in Downtown DC. The unique financing had design implications that were accommodated seamlessly. www.multihousingnews.com/increasing-d...
Great essay by @Robert Steuteville debunking the absurd and erroneous claims about #NewUrbanism that were published in the Federalist.
www.cnu.org/publicsquare...
www.cnu.org/publicsquare...
Make America walkable again
A political diatribe accuses new urbanists of limiting liberty and imposing an exclusive vision on America. With support among liberals and conservatives, New Urbanism uses common sense to increase fr...
www.cnu.org
February 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Great essay by @Robert Steuteville debunking the absurd and erroneous claims about #NewUrbanism that were published in the Federalist.
www.cnu.org/publicsquare...
www.cnu.org/publicsquare...
People don’t love their cities because they’re great, they’re cities are great because people love them.
February 17, 2025 at 9:20 PM
People don’t love their cities because they’re great, they’re cities are great because people love them.
@urbanizela.bsky.social you might consider a link to this essay thanks commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...
Reclaiming Urbanism After the L.A. Fires
The city should reconsider the single-use land patterns of Pacific Palisades and Altadena and enact zoning reforms.
commonedge.org
February 13, 2025 at 4:44 AM
@urbanizela.bsky.social you might consider a link to this essay thanks commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...
Great essay about stress tests on local governments. I am honored to have my own essay referenced, “Neal Payton, an L.A. based urban planner…argues this is an opportunity to rethink outdated land-use patterns and embrace walkable, mixed-use development.” open.substack.com/pub/willhamp...
Governance Under Pressure
From wildfires to AI to spending cuts — three stress tests for public institutions
open.substack.com
February 13, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Great essay about stress tests on local governments. I am honored to have my own essay referenced, “Neal Payton, an L.A. based urban planner…argues this is an opportunity to rethink outdated land-use patterns and embrace walkable, mixed-use development.” open.substack.com/pub/willhamp...
Hmmm. Maybe we’d get better bike infrastructure www.newsweek.com/us-denmark-t...
America's NATO ally urged to "buy California"
"Let's buy California from Donald Trump!...California could be ours, and we need your help to make it happen," the petition reads.
www.newsweek.com
February 10, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Hmmm. Maybe we’d get better bike infrastructure www.newsweek.com/us-denmark-t...
Considerations for rebuilding after the #LAfires commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...
Reclaiming Urbanism After the L.A. Fires
The city should reconsider the single-use land patterns of Pacific Palisades and Altadena and enact zoning reforms.
commonedge.org
February 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Considerations for rebuilding after the #LAfires commonedge.org/reclaiming-u...