L.A. County's Regional Planning Commission Celebrates 100 Years of Service

In 2023, the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) celebrates its 100th anniversary. In late 1922, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors created the Commission with staff to coordinate land use planning within the county. The first regional planning commissioners were appointed by the Board in early 1923. This makes the RPC the oldest county planning commission in the U.S.

The RPC acts as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors on all planning matters. The commissioners administer provisions of the State Planning Law (Title 7, Division I, of the Government Code), the State Subdivision Map Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and the LA County ordinances affecting planning such as the County Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance. They advise on planning policies and conduct regular public hearings and meetings. RPC consists of five Commissioners which are appointed to four-year terms by the Board of Supervisors.

To commemorate and celebrate this significant milestone, the Department of Regional Planning (DRP) created a StoryMap which summarizes the fascinating history and major accomplishments of the RPC and DRP. For example, the inaugural RPC immediately got to work on the issues of the day and started the development of a zoning code early on.  The Board of Supervisors adopted what became the first county zoning code in the nation on September 12, 1927. Following adoption of the zoning code, the RPC initiated the process of creating precise zoning plans for many unincorporated areas and places.