Empowering L.A.'s Next Planning Director

Observers hope L.A.'s next planning director will elevate the importance of the department to be on par with the city's police department.

1 minute read

May 30, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"In the past, the selection of a planning director has barely registered as a blip on the public's radar. This time around, however, community stakeholders have seized on the opportunity to voice their concerns and ideas. A coalition of nearly four dozen community groups, individuals and planners led by Occidental College drafted a letter to the next planning director called "Planning for a Liveable City." It contains a litany of requests, from creating transit-friendly development to exploring innovative planning approaches to creating a master plan for developing the Los Angeles River and adjacent Cornfield State Park at the northern tip of Downtown.

...Last week the city began vetting about a dozen strong applicants for the job out of 30 resumes received. Some candidates have been recruited internally, while others came from national posts; there is at least one international resume, according to Mayor Jim Hahn's office. Insiders say the final choice will likely come from out of state, someone with a fresh approach to planning and management far removed from the current department."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Monday, May 30, 2005 in Los Angeles Downtown News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

May 23 - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

May 23 - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23 - The Daily Yonder