City of Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Conservancy at 40: Looking Back and Ahead

The Los Angeles Conservancy turned 40 on March 20. As it marks four decades of preserving historic places throughout L.A. County, the organization considers the next 40 years of preservation in L.A.

March 24, 2018 - Los Angeles Conservancy blog

Expo Line LA Skyline

Los Angeles Needs More Transit-Oriented Development

Development plans along the Expo Line need more density, affordable housing to achieve city goals

November 17, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Skyscraper at 1 Madison Park, Manhattan

'Greedy Developer' Trope: Tired and Counterproductive

Opponents of development often cast themselves as opponents of developers, whom they see as greedy and exploitative. But demonization does no good when developers—profit and all—are a crucial part of city-building.

April 19, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Broadway Los Angeles

Top Housing Markets In 2017: Phoenix, Los Angeles, Boston

The National Association of Realtors weigh in on 2017 housing forecast.

December 7, 2016 - Modern Cities

Echo Park

Los Angeles' Neighborhood Integrity Initiative Presents Demands to City Leaders

Last week, leaders of the initiative to curb development in L.A. surprisingly presented Mayor Eric Garcetti with an ultimatum: Agree to their list of demands by August 24, or they will take the issue to the March 2017 ballot.

August 24, 2016 - The Planning Report

Overcoming Roadblocks to Data-Driven Governance in Cities

Pursuing Mayor Garcetti's "back-to-basics" agenda, the city of Los Angeles' notoriously complex and convoluted bureaucracy has taken big leaps toward data-driven governance—thanks, in large part, to Deputy Mayor of Budget and Innovation Rick Cole.

June 27, 2015 - The Planning Report

Downtown Los Angeles from LADWP

Los Angeles pLAn Shoots for STAR

The newly released Los Angeles Sustainability pLAn aspires to Lead by Example by committing to STAR Communities certification by 2017. Other major cities may now feel compelled to pursue STAR as part of their sustainability plans and program.

May 9, 2015 - Walker Wells

Los Angeles' CAO Shows How Trade-Offs Drive City Budgeting

Yesterday marked the release of the city of Los Angeles Mayor’s Budget for FY 2015-2016, and Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana delves into the details.

April 21, 2015 - The Planning Report

An Inside Perspective on Los Angeles' New Sustainable City Plan

Mark Gold, who helped craft Los Angeles' 20-year plan for water, energy, waste, resilience, and environmental justice, gives a breakdown of the document in light of the county's current failings.

April 10, 2015 - The Planning Report

Eastside Gold Line and Los Angeles skyline

Where Los Angeles Equals San Francisco's Density

Though the Los Angeles region is very dense, significant barriers to transit-oriented planning remain. Based on this analysis, the lack of a central urban core shouldn't be one of them.

March 19, 2015 - Medium

How Los Angeles Will Update its 1946 Zoning Code

Tom Rothmann explains how and why Los Angeles is updating antiquated language governing land use in the city.

March 13, 2015 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles' Plan to Minimize Displacement During Urban Revitalization

Bloomberg Philanthropies will fund an "Innovation Delivery Team" in Los Angeles to approach the challenge of revitalizing urban neighborhoods while also creating improvements for existing populations.

March 10, 2015 - The Planning Report

Veteran City Leader Offers Strategies for Creating Dynamic Streets and Spaces

Drawing on longtime efforts to promote livability at the neighborhood, city, and regional level, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Rick Cole recently highlighted lessons learned about "urban revitalization."

December 10, 2014 - The Planning Report

Will Los Angeles Legalize Street Vending?

The $500 million underground street vending economy in Los Angeles took a step closer toward legalization on Tuesday.

December 5, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Prepares for its Next Major Earthquake

Dr. Lucy Jones advises the city known for seismic activity on how to avert economic disaster when a natural disaster inevitably strikes.

November 21, 2014 - The Planning Report

Prioritizing Resilience: Fraught with Challenges, But Worthwhile

In the face of climate change, making cities "resilient" before crises strike has become a pressing concern.

September 7, 2014 - The Planning Report

Private-Sector Tech Innovations Make Their Way into City Halls

Can municipal governments adopt cutting-edge technology—and the culture that goes with it?

August 8, 2014 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles City Planner Imparts Department Priorities

It will come as no surprise to those tracking the built environment in Los Angeles that City Planning currently faces a number of challenges.

July 24, 2014 - The Planning Report

Planners Express Frustration with Inertia in Los Angeles

"Whither planning in Los Angeles?" Sam Hall Kaplan seeks to find out.

July 7, 2014 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles River Kayak

Los Angeles River Visionary Reflects on $1 Billion Recommendation for Revitalization

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its preference for a $1.08 billion plan to restore habitat in the Los Angeles River, many credited Lewis MacAdams's fight to change the city's relationship with its waterway over nearly three decades.

July 3, 2014 - The Planning Report

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.