LADCP Releases Draft Citywide Design Guidelines

This morning I attended a public meeting at City Hall, where 

The Los Angeles Department of City Planning announced their request to receive input and feedback on draft citywide design guidelines.  Although the guidelines are not construed to be mandatory, they will help the City establish a precedent for design excellence.  The guidelines, if used effectively, can serve as a community-based tool to help shape the design process by focusing the dialogue around certain urban design principals.

To access the draft guidelines, click on the following links:

Residential Design Guidelines

Commercial Design Guidelines

Industrial Design Guidelines

Comments are encouraged between now and September 27th and may be directed to city planner Michelle Sorkin at michelle.sorkin@lacity.org.

Feel free to copy me on your comments, as well.  I will plan to collate them and add them to this post, so that you can access each other's thoughts on the matter.

All best,

Will Wright

Director, Government & Public Affairs

AIA Los Angeles

email: will@aialosangeles.org

For your ease of access, I've also posted the following additional resources from the Department of City Planning:

THE 10 PRINCIPLES OF URBAN DESIGN

1. Develop inviting and accessible transit areas.

2. Reinforce walkability, bikeability and well-being.

3. Nurture neighborhood character. 

4. Bridge the past and the future. 

5. Produce great green streets. 

6. Generate public open space.

7. Stimulate sustainability and innovation in our city.

8. Improve equity and opportunity.

9. Emphasize early integration, simple processes and maintainable solutions.

10.    Ensure connections.

What are the Citywide Design Guidelines?

The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning invites you to comment on the Citywide Design Guidelines.

The new Citywide Design Guidelines under consideration will establish, for the first time, basic Citywide design considerations with respect to the entire building envelope and project site. The Design Guidelines will address overarching design themes found in the City’s Framework Element and 35 Community Plans. The Design Guidelines are rooted in the 10 Urban Design Principles in the Framework (pending adoption by City Council) with a focus on creating high-quality built form and integrating sustainability. The Guidelines cover a range of topics such as Site Planning, Open Space and Landscaping, Building Design and Articulation, Signage and Lighting.

The Citywide Design Guidelines will be implemented on discretionary projects subject to review by the Department of City Planning.

For more information contact:

Michelle Sorkin

Department of City Planning

tel: 213.978.1199 

email: michelle.sorkin@lacity.org