Last month I was lucky enough to hop on a plane to LA thanks to my mom for watching the kiddies and my husband for letting me tag along on his work trip. And what a treat. In terms of planning and urban design, here's a part of the country that really gets it right. South Florida, pay attention.

One Uber ride to Santa Monica from West Hollywood and I was greeted by this! A multi-tasking street with a mesmerizing pedestrian promenade, exclusive bike lanes, creative seating and festive overhead lighting.

They even added an artistic directional guide to break up the pavement pattern and direct visitors to other points of interest. Notice the direction to Expo Station--LA's light rail.

A few steps further led to a modern and rather inviting bike station. Individuals can rent bikes or use their own bikes to commute around town while bike techs service their bikes and store them during the day. Most of these stations are located on the