Planning for the Next 20 Years in Unincorporated Los Angeles County

Fortunately, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved General Plan Update 2035. The document comes after an intensive process of analysis to both clean up inconsistencies and create a vision for the area's future.

Richard Bruckner and Connie Chung from the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning spoke with The Planning Report to walk readers through the plan's primary objectives. They articulated intentions to preserve industrial use, to further environmental conservation, and to encourage transit-oriented development. From a process perspective, Bruckner and Chung noted the plan's reliance on research, including a partnership with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation to identify land important for job preservation.

Finally, Bruckner commented on the promise of California's new Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts for Los Angeles County, which often struggles to implement change within the constraints of its limited jurisdiction:

"I was very encouraged to learn that [EIFDs are] scalable across regions and even jurisdictions. One of the perplexing issues we face is that some of the islands we plan for are surrounded by two or three other jurisdictions. It’s a challenge to bring them all together. Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts may be just the tool not only to bring people together politically, but also to bring the economics of the area together around infrastructure investment. 

Some of these areas sorely need infrastructure investment, particularly where the transit system is going. Sometimes our TOD strategy is unfortunately limited to half of the street, because the other half is in the City of LA or another bordering incorporated city. The future of some of these areas is partnering with the adjacent communities, and I appreciate that EIFDs could help do that."