L.A.'s New City Planner Named

Gail Goldberg, head of San Diego's planning department, will become the General Manager of the Los Angeles City Planning Department, replacing Con Howe, who departed months ago.

1 minute read

January 9, 2006, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Among her achievements in San Diego was creation of a concept called "City of Villages." The idea is that each village â€" there are five underway â€" will include housing, businesses, schools and public facilities such as libraries, and be pedestrian friendly with access to mass transit.

Goldberg said she does not intend to try the same concept in Los Angeles, but wants to find neighborhoods that want change and help them formulate plans that will foster new development and the amenities that go with it.

San Diego covers about 73 square miles, compared with 465 in Los Angeles. But in the last two decades San Diego has remade its downtown with a new convention center, baseball stadium and the bars and eateries of the Gaslamp Quarter.

...She initially studied economics, switching to planning in her fourth year of studies.

In 1988, at age 45, she was hired as a junior planner in San Diego. She worked her way up the ranks and was made chief of the department in 2001."

Sunday, January 8, 2006 in The Los Angeles Times

Young Professional

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 and Environmental 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 and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"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 14, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Cars driving under automatic congestion pricing toll machines on Broadway next to the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan, New York City.

Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off

After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.

October 13, 2026 - Marcelo Remond

A row of tiny homes in Denver

Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?

Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.

October 14, 2026 - New York Times

A suburban area of California.

Will sprawl save California?

California residents will vote on Proposition 45 in November, which would make it easier to build large housing developments on the outskirts of the state’s cities.

2 hours ago - New York Times

A leaking oil well in Texas contaminates a field.

Texas suburbs are popping up around old oil wells. Some are starting to leak

Several plugged wells in Texas have failed in recent years, endangering those who unknowingly settled nearby.

3 hours ago - Inside Climate News

Two Black children roller skate.

This Chicago neighborhood is using planning to increase life expectancy

The Garfield Park Quality-Of-Life Plan aims to bring residents everything from easier access to fresh food to revitalized commercial corridors.

4 hours ago - Block Club Chicago