An Inside Perspective on Los Angeles' New Sustainable City Plan

Mark Gold, who helped craft Los Angeles' 20-year plan for water, energy, waste, resilience, and environmental justice, gives a breakdown of the document in light of the county's current failings.

1 minute read

April 10, 2015, 2:00 PM PDT

By Molly M. Strauss @mmstrauss


This week, the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability gave Los Angeles County a C+ on its environmental report card. Just days later, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled the city of Los Angeles's first-ever Sustainable City pLAn.

Mark Gold, Acting Director of UCLA's IoES and also a contributor to the pLAn, offers his perspective on its goals in light of the region's sustainability shortcomings today. His assessment is optimistic, calling elements of the pLAn "transformative." He comments on goals for greenhouse-gas emission reductions, shifts in mobility, zero waste, and social equity.

Gold sums up:

"There's something for everyone in the pLAn. It is a comprehensive blueprint for LA's sustainability and it is tailored to our city. Sustainability in LA is a lot different than sustainability in Copenhagen or Sydney, and the pLAn embraces those differences and the city's diversity. Also, the goals and metrics will prove to be excellent tools to assess the sustainability progress of individual city departments and the city as a whole. UCLA has embarked on the Grand Challenge of working with the region to get to 100 percent local water, 100 percent renewable energy, and enhanced ecosystem health by 2050. Mayor Garcetti's pLAn puts the region on the right track for us all to thrive in a denser, hotter LA."

The Sustainable City pLAn is excerpted by The Planning Report following Gold's analysis.

Friday, April 10, 2015 in The Planning Report

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.