Whither City Planning In Los Angeles?

The Planning Report talked to a number of local private and public sector officials about their ideas for better planning in L.A.:

Mark Winogrond, FAICP, of Planmark Associates, writes, "In Los Angeles, there is only one team dedicated to a better physical future: City Planning. To say that a better future can (or should) be 'expedited' is a foolish and dangerous idea. The Mayor selected his first Director of Planning wisely; he will hopefully apply that same wisdom to this selection. The quality of a city is decided by the courage of its leaders, not be the speed of its approval stamps."

Len Hill, Partner at Linear City Development, comments, "Much of the challenge that any new Planning Director will confront is political. How can you motivate an understaffed department? How do you deal with administrators who have virtual tenure? How do you make coherent planning decisions in an environment that has given City Council Members exaggerated authority over the planning process? How do you contend with the outsized role that developers play in financing local political campaigns? We need to spur smart development and to do that we need to candidly confront some real political obstacles."

Many more reflections over at The Planning Report.