Oct. 28, 2025 5 AM PT

To the editor: When I read about plans for a $2.3-million fence for MacArthur Park, I couldn’t help but wonder: Did anyone ask an urban planner (“Drugs, crime and homelessness plague MacArthur Park. Can a multimillion-dollar fence rescue it?,” Oct. 25)? We would tell you that making the park safe requires increasing access, not preventing it.

As Jane Jacobs explained in 1961 in “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” foot traffic and eyes on the street are what create a safe environment. Limiting access to the park will reduce the number of people who walk through it and is likely to make it even less safe.

A far better approach would be to use that money to license nearby street vendors and co-locate them in a safe, central location within the park. This would offer more reasons for people to walk through the park regularly. Even better, it would provide incentives for other pop-up businesses (and increased security personnel) within the park or on the perimeter — which, again, would encourage more foot traffic. Perhaps the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks should talk to the city planning department more often?

Joshua Schank, Studio City
This writer has a doctorate in urban planning from Columbia University and works as a transportation planning consultant.

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To the editor: The opening paragraph of this article tells the readers all they need to know about the sad state of lawlessness in Los Angeles. It states “an open-air drug market operated nearby” MacArthur Park. As long as our city allows people who break the law to remain unaccountable, MacArthur Park will remain a danger instead of a refuge. No fence can fix lawlessness.

It should be obvious to anyone who lives in Council District 1 that Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez has failed her constituents. From Highland Park’s burgeoning homeless encampments, to the filth and litter along the 110 southbound, to MacArthur Park’s notoriety, her misguided efforts to put optional outreach over the equal protection of the rule of law have destroyed her law-abiding constituents’ quality of life. Her unavailability for an interview for this front-page article further highlights her ineptitude.

Raul Claros, who will be running for City Council, stands for deeper community investment, rule of law and, if necessary, armed park rangers to secure MacArthur Park. Claros understands that we are a country based on equal protection under the law.

Even Rick Caruso has asked, “Why isn’t our city enforcing the laws?” Indeed, why not? A fence is no substitute for the rule of law.

Victoria Stover Mordecai, San Marino

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To the editor: Take a walk around Los Angeles State Historic Park downtown: beautiful trails, native plants, fruit trees, clean and accessible restrooms, and great spaces for activities. Like MacArthur Park, it has a great view of downtown. It feels safe, clean and well-maintained. And it has a fence, with defined open hours. It is a beautiful fence that doesn’t detract from the view; it just limits access when not open.

As Hernandez said, everyone deserves a park like this.

Rana Parker, Pasadena

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To the editor: Westlake neighborhood residents deserve a beautiful green space that’s safe, accessible and fosters community enjoyment and pride. A recent unanimous vote approved the conceptual phase to address park crime and safety concerns, including a proposed $2.3-million fence.

I can hear my dad’s reaction to solutions like this one: “Locks and fences only keep the honest people out.” This prompts consideration of alternative allocations for the funds. Rather than investing in a perceived remedy with questionable efficacy, it may be more prudent to allocate the $2.3 million toward sustaining outreach workers and programs that address homelessness, addiction and mental illness, while collaborating with law enforcement on issues like drug trafficking and violence.

Furthermore, outreach workers could empower capable members of the homeless community to participate in initiatives (with compensation) like park beautification, litter removal and neighborhood watch, cultivating a sense of community ownership and responsibility.

Karen Schetina, Los Angeles