KCRW's DnA: Design & Architecture

A Frank Gehry-designed project on Sunset Boulevard is moving forward, despite neighborhood opposition.

Can you "ideate" and "prototype" your way to a better, more fulfilling life? That’s the premise of the book Designing Your Life, though some designers question the use of "design thinking" as a means of career counselling and self-investigation. And in time for Halloween, the book Ghostland explores what kinds of architectural details make a place feel haunted, as well as what stories of hauntings tell us about our own prejudices and biases.

The world needs to cut back on HFCs but Americans love staying cold; does that mean you need to get a smaller fridge or turn off the air-conditioning? Los Angeles was once a city of neon; now the colorful gas lighting is making a comeback. Why? Avishay Artsy tours Jewish Los Angeles, and finds some of LA’s most noted designers and builders.

The LAPD Academy in Elysian Park has undergone a makeover, as the department adapts to an era of community policing. An MIT freshman has created what's believed to be the first fingerprint-enabled smart gun. And a French artist finds inspiration in the cracked concrete of the Los Angeles River.

Back when most people had barely heard of a Prius or LEED certification, 300 builders and product designers committed to sustainable design gathered at a small convention called Greenbuild. Now it is one of the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to “green building” and holds its fifteenth annual conference and trade show this week at the LA Convention Center.

Artist Patrick Shearn, known for his eye-popping music festival installations, goes public, with musical clouds inside Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Liquid Shard. LA welcomes the Greenbuild Conference; but what is next in sustainability now greenbuilding has gone mainstream? Plus, we investigate the gender wars that have erupted over a men's fashion choice: cargo shorts.

We've all heard of NIMBYs: people who oppose growth because they don't want their neighborhoods to change. Now, there's a counter-movement forming of people who say the only way to solve the housing crisis in expensive cities is to keep building.

Some high-profile European architects have projects in the works for the Southland and have waded into the argument about density. DnA looks at projects both spiritual and commercial from famed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his firm OMA, and we check out a mammoth mixed-use project in the Arts District by Herzog & de Meuron.

Smithsonian's newest museum is a striking homage to African-American history and culture. We get the inside scoop from the architects and reviews from critics on the building and its artifacts. And move over NIMBYs: the pro-development, YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) movement is heating up across the country, and here in Los Angeles.

Utopian thinking is back, as Silicon Valley envisions smart cities. Is there anything to learn from an older social and architectural experiment in the Arizona desert? We visit Arcosanti. And, when you see artwork in museums and galleries, does all the credit belong to the artist? A new show at LACMA puts the spotlight on LA's printmakers behind the fine art.

The Neighborhood Integrity Initiative is measure on the March 2017 ballot that would restrict development in Los Angeles. Folks behind NII are supporting another slow-growth ballot measure - this one in Santa Monica. DnA on ATC looks at LUVE, or Measure LV and asks what it means for downtown Santa Monica, and the region.

Uber is launching a fleet of semi-autonomous cars on the streets of Pittsburgh. What does this mean for the design of the city and for Uber drivers? And what will it feel like to be a passenger in a driverless car of the future? Plus, an artist draws plans of the imaginary homes of his favorite TV sitcoms.

From Santa Monica to Boyle Heights, residents are fighting development. Are their concerns connected? And is slowing growth the answer to maintaining affordable housing across the region? DnA reports from the most and the least affluent communities in the Southland.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is moving forward with a plan to replace four buildings on its campus with a new building designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Critics say the building is dark, monolithic, and would disrupt the flow of Wilshire Boulevard. Others describe it as "restrained" and "calm" and a good fit for an institution like LACMA.

Los Angeles architect William Pereira is getting renewed interest, as two of his prominent works are set to be torn down. And Tracy Tynan, a costume designer in LA, talks about she found meaning in clothing during a chaotic childhood.