In the 1920s, to alleviate traffic on a specific downtown to miracle mile commute, macarthur park was split in half and wilshire was cut through the middle of the park. The park remains split in 2016 due to this 1920s era problem.
In the 1950s, due to a lack of downtown parking, pershing square was gutted to be a multi-level underground parking structure with a poorly accessible park on top. Now in 2016, when we want a walkable city, many lament that our one central park is really just a multi-level parking lot.
The central problem here is that when city policy crafts a solution with 80 years of consequences to alleviate a 3 year problem, the urban landscape becomes disjointed and short-sighted.
Instead, this concept, which includes things like bike lanes, high density dwellings, and trains, are people trying to come up with 80 year solutions that are forward thinking.
There's been a problem getting all the right funding and public support on board but it's far easier today then what it took to get that first train to long beach open in 1990. The newer high density housing is still not pedestrian accessible, but that is changing in the buildings that are being planned right now and will be complete in a few years.
I think LA is attracting the right people and fostering the right attitude for a workable city that will blossom with sustainability, creativity, and livability in the upcoming generation.