Los Angeles Kicks Off Effort to Retool 67-Year-Old Zoning Code

"As one of his final efforts to streamline the development process in the city before leaving office, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Wednesday the start of a five-year effort to rewrite the city's 67-year-old zoning code," reports Rick Orlov. 

"We need to update the zoning code to reflect the changes in the city, the diversity and to recognize the need to have development along transit corridors," Villaraigosa said.

"Under the program, a website at recode.la has been set up for the public to keep track of the process and offer input on what they would like to see in their neighborhoods, Villaraigosa said." 

In addition to the website, the project will feature an extensive on-the-ground public outreach component. "Planning Director Michael LoGrande said more than 100 workshops are being planned around the city to take public testimony on the plan and suggest changes."

"Councilman Ed Reyes, who chairs the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee, said the new code will be easier for the public to understand and reduce the need to hire experts to help them through the process," notes Orlov.

"This might not be good news for the expediters," Reyes said. "We want the public to have a zoning code that is easy to understand. With this reform, we are going to address this imbalance and embrace the parts of the city that needs attention."

Disclosure: Planetizen's parent company, Urban Insight, is a member of the project team.