The Legacy of L.A.'s Former Planning Director

Gail Goldberg recently left the helm of the City of Los Angeles' City Planning Department. AIA Los Angeles takes a look back at her four-year tenure and the positive impacts she made.

1 minute read

August 29, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The list includes 25 separate items, ranging from the establishment of an urban design studio to Goldberg's insistence that the department do "real planning".

"Began the creation of "real" plans. Meaningful, detailed Community Plans will provide developers and communities with certainty about the future of their neighborhoods, reducing project-by-project battles over every development. New plans will result in fewer deviations and entitlement requests, and, therefore, less casework, more by-right development, and a clearer vision and direction for communities. As a result, the new plans will create greater certainty for developers and community members alike. They will also include an Environmental Impact Report and all the necessary zoning and implementation measures to carry out the plan, further reducing the need for costly and time-consuming work for each project. This program and the department reorganization are the two essential foundations for assuring positive change in the planning and development process in Los Angeles."

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