Los Angeles Launches Wave of Community Plan Updates

With a promise to update all 35 of its community plans by 2024, Los Angeles took a big step toward that goal this week by launching new planning processes in nine community plan areas.

1 minute read

October 3, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Stahl House Los Angeles

Megan Miller / View from Stahl House

"The City Planning Department has initiated a series of updates to 9 community plans, as part of an ongoing citywide effort to update all 35 by 2024," according to a press release from the Department of City Planning.

Community plans in the Harbor area, the Southeast San Fernando Valley, and the Westside comprise the nine total community plan areas included in the new wave of planning processes. The nine new community plans add to seven community plan processes already underway around the city.

Under the planning regime of the city of Los Angeles, 35 community plans comprise the Land Use Element of the city's state-mandated General Plan. The acceleration of community plan updates in the city arose out of the controversy surrounding Measure S (also known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative), a ballot measure that failed to gain the approval of voters in 2016.

Thursday, September 27, 2018 in Los Angeles Department of City Planning

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nilu Jenks wears a long gray coat and speaks with one man and two women outside.

Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember

Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.

November 8 - Reason

People sit on wooden benches on a bus in Miami

New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks

Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade homeowners $2,700 in 2028.

November 8 - Miami New Times

Two men install solar panels on the roof of a house.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms

The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.

November 8 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.