Zócalo Public Square

The term gentrification can be a catch-all word to characterize the arrival of hipsters, widely available wi-fi, and whites moving into neighborhoods of color. But at a Thinking L.A. event co-presented by UCLA and moderated by KCRW news producer Saul Gonzalez, a panel of Angelenos who study and work to improve the city -- Urban Planner Gilda Haas, Former City Planning Commissioner Maria Cabildo, UCLA cityLAB director Dana Cuff, and western region director of The Actors Fund Keith McNutt -- tried to hone in on how gentrification plays out on the ground, and how best to manage the forces that are rapidly transforming neighborhoods like Highland Park and Lincoln Heights.