Craig Corman was sworn in for his first term as mayor of Beverly Hills earlier this year. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

When Craig Corman became mayor of Beverly Hills in April, he took the helm of a city entering one of the most consequential periods in its history. With state housing mandates reshaping development, Metro expanding into the city and preparations underway for the 2028 Olympics, Corman said his focus is ensuring Beverly Hills remains true to its identity while planning thoughtfully for the future. He said many of the city’s biggest initiatives are designed not to produce immediate results, but to lay the groundwork for the decades ahead.

“Things aren’t going to get done overnight or even in one year,” Corman said. “But if we do things correctly, we will at least till the soil for the future sprouts of progress.”

Four months into his one-year term as mayor, Corman has launched several initiatives aimed at increasing community engagement while continuing to advance long-term planning efforts that he believes will position Beverly Hills for decades to come.

One of Corman’s first initiatives was the Mayor’s Circuit, a new outreach program that takes conversations with residents outside City Hall and into neighborhoods and local businesses.

Rather than asking residents to attend meetings at a specific time and place, Corman visits groups at homes or workplaces to discuss the issues that matter most to them.

“This was our attempt to make things even more transparent and more engaging for people in the community by going to them and talking about things that they want to talk about at a mutually convenient time,” Corman said.

The inaugural Mayor’s Circuit was held July 21 at the law offices of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup LLP, and Corman said additional gatherings are already being planned, including one in the city’s southeast neighborhood.

He will also introduce “Metro with the Mayor,” an initiative intended to encourage residents to become more familiar with the Metro system following the opening of the Wilshire/La Cienega D Line station in May. The first event, scheduled for Aug. 16, will take participants by train to Dodger Stadium for a Dodgers-Brewers game.

The program reflects Corman’s belief that Metro presents opportunities as well as challenges for Beverly Hills.

Before the Wilshire/La Cienega station opened, many residents expressed concerns that it could bring an increase in crime and homelessness. Corman said the city responded by investing in security measures before the station opened, including a dedicated public safety presence on the station plaza.

“I think we have not seen any significant negative impacts from the station,” Corman said. “People worried about homelessness. We have not seen a lot of additional homeless people coming into the neighborhood as a result of the subway stop.”

The city plans to apply many of the same strategies when the Beverly Drive station opens next year.

“We’re taking the experience that we’re getting at the La Cienega station, and we’re going to apply those same lessons that we learned,” Corman said.

L.A. County’s annual homeless count showed an increase in unsheltered homelessness in Beverly Hills. According to the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, conducted in January, Beverly Hills recorded 30 unsheltered people not in a dwelling, up from 17 in 2025. Surveyors also identified two makeshift dwellings, one car and one van occupied by people experiencing homelessness.

Corman said homelessness remains a regional issue that no single city can solve, but added that Beverly Hills will continue balancing outreach efforts with public safety.

“Our goal cannot be to eliminate homelessness because that’s beyond our power,” Corman said. “What we can do is make sure that Beverly Hills residents are safe and don’t have to worry about encounters with homeless people who may have mental illnesses or other issues.”

Corman added that the city will continue addressing homelessness “as humanely as possible” while ensuring residents and visitors continue to feel safe.

Beyond Metro, Corman said much of the city’s work has centered on preparing Beverly Hills for long-term growth.

Among those efforts is a nexus study that could allow the city to charge fees on future large-scale developments to help pay for roads, utilities, parks and other infrastructure improvements needed to accommodate growth. The fees would apply to future projects rather than developments already approved under the state’s Builder’s Remedy provision.

Additionally, the City Council recently approved a Transit-Oriented Development Alternative Plan, or TODAP, which seeks to concentrate future housing around the Wilshire/La Cienega Metro station while reducing development pressure on single-family neighborhoods. The plan gives the city greater local control over the effects of Senate Bill 29, which allows higher-density development near transit stops.

Corman said the strategy is intended to create a vibrant mixed-use district where new housing and businesses support one another.

“You bring in large amounts of people, then the businesses will come to serve the people who live there,” Corman said. “That’s really how you organically grow a new neighborhood.”

While acknowledging that some Builder’s Remedy projects remain controversial, Corman said the city’s options are limited under state law.

“There’s not a lot we can do,” he said, noting that some proposed projects may ultimately never be built if they prove financially infeasible.

Corman also believes Beverly Hills must continue evolving economically as shopping habits evolve, particularly in the Golden Triangle.

Rather than relying solely on luxury retail, he said the city should continue emphasizing unique experiences that cannot be replicated online or at traditional shopping centers.

“It’s not just luxury goods that people want to buy anymore. They want luxury experiences,” Corman said.

He pointed to signature events such as the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, public art installations and the city’s new “Beverly Hills Masters” podcast featuring local chefs as examples of experiences that attract visitors while supporting local businesses.

“I think more events that cater to luxury buyers would be a good thing,” Corman said.

Although Beverly Hills is not hosting Olympic competitions in 2028, Corman said the city has already begun planning for the Games. An ad-hoc City Council committee made up of council members Lester Friedman and Sharona Nazarian is exploring opportunities ranging from attracting national team headquarters to the city to organizing community events that capitalize on the expected influx of visitors to Southern California.

Corman also praised the city’s recent leadership transitions, describing the appointments of City Manager Ryan Gohlich and Police Chief Max Subin as seamless because both are longtime Beverly Hills employees familiar with the city’s culture and expectations.

“I don’t see there being any massive changes in the way the city is run,” Corman said. “Max Subin has been in the city for many years, so the transition to him becoming chief has been seamless and will continue to be so … Certainly Ryan is part of a younger generation, but having worked here for as long as he has, he understands our values. He understands the way the system works, and so I don’t see there being any massive changes in the way the city is run. He knows the good things that we do, and maybe he knows some of the things that we can do better, and he’s going to do them better.”

Looking ahead, Corman said he believes Beverly Hills remains in a strong position despite the challenges that accompany growth. The city’s focus, he said, should be on preserving the qualities that have made Beverly Hills internationally recognized while continuing to adapt to changing conditions.

“We’re a small city with a world-famous reputation for being a great place to come and to live and to visit and even to work in,” Corman said. “We need to make sure that in 20 years people still view us that way.”