Friday, January 18, 2019

The signs at the city limits of Los Angeles and every other city in California indicate how many people live in that city. But numbers that Angelenos take for granted -- 4 million in the city, 10 million in the county, 112 in Vernon -- are not so easy to come by. Demography is as much an art as it is a science, and knowing precise numbers of residents, as well as migration patterns, ethnic composition, and age composition, is crucial for nearly every government entity. School districts need to know how many students they must accommodate, and urban planners need to know how many residential units to plan for, transportation planners must anticipate the number of cars on the road. 

Next year, we will embark on the process that is supposed to determine these numbers conclusively. But will it? The 2020 Census is already mired in controversy -- over questions of residents' citizenship -- and mayors and planning directors around the country have launched a national movement to ensure that the Census is accurate and fair. The results of the federal Census can determine how much Community Development Block Grant money Los Angeles receives, under-counting, especially in minority-heavy neighborhoods, could threaten these funds. Meanwhile, the State of California follows its own formula for implementing statewide policies for programs like the Regional Housing Needs Allocation.  This month, WUF will discuss what's at stake with the 2020 Census and find out about the demographic trends that will shape Los Angeles in the coming decade. 

Panelists
Maria de la Luz Garcia
Director of the Census 2020 Initiative
Mayor's Office of Budget and Innovation

Giovany Hernandez 
Regional Census Campaign Manager  
NALEO Educational Fund

Kevin Kane, PhD
Research & Analysis
Southern California Association of Governments 

Dowell Myers
Sol Price School of Public Policy
University of Southern California 

Moderator
Conni Pallini-Tipton
Senior Planner
Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning