Promised Reform of L.A.'s Project Approval Process Taking Shape

The name has changed, butt he reform game stays the same. Chief Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner has promised a more transparent project approval process. A team of consultants is just beginning to pitch their ideas.

1 minute read

March 13, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Anonymous (not verified)


The Assessment is written by former land use attorney at Latham and Watkins, Katharine Young:

"The real estate development representatives- many of whom noted their involvement in past Los Angeles City development reform initiatives dating back nearly 30 years-repeatedly cited the need for updated and enforceable community plans, as well as a streamlined application process to eliminate current redundancies across departments. Many attendees identified a key underlying shortcoming of the city planning process to be outdated planning and zoning documents that developers and their representatives now work around rather than with."

"As the facilitated session neared its conclusion, a number of participants expressed doubt as to the feasibility of implementing any strategic plan halfway through the mayor's second term, citing power dynamics at City Hall. Unions, general managers, land use expediters, lobbyists, and City Council members, attendees opined, all benefit from the current dysfunction and therefore continue to serve as barriers to long-term, meaningful development reform in Los Angeles."

Thanks to James Brasuell

Thursday, March 3, 2011 in The Planning Report

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine