Dear Interested Parties,

City Planning is pleased to announce the release of the Landscape and Site Design Ordinance for public review and feedback. The Landscape and Site Design Ordinance updates the existing Landscape Ordinance (LAMC Sections 12.40 through 12.43) and establishes Landscape and Site Design Standards. These Standards promote healthy, walkable communities; address pressing climate change and public health needs; reduce review processing times for new, ground up development projects; and improve predictability and enforcement.

In alignment with Mayor Bass’ Mayoral Executive Directive Number 7, aimed at streamlining housing production and directing the Planning Department to develop objective design standards for multi-family housing projects, the new Ordinance represents a policy shift in the way that climate-adapted site design is addressed in Los Angeles, by creating livable communities, high quality housing, and relating buildings to the street and their surroundings. Through a carefully calibrated performance-based point system, the Ordinance replaces the existing, outdated Landscape Ordinance and Design Guidelines, advances site design principles that make our streets and sidewalks more walkable, support healthy communities, provide spaces for nature and biodiversity to flourish, and create buildings and places that support positive community interaction.

Building upon the adopted Citywide Design Guidelines, the Ordinance proposes a flexible point-based system that will facilitate multiple pathways to select site, building, and landscape design strategies that meet the program’s objectives through a combination of mandatory and elective design strategies with weighted point values. Additionally, the Ordinance supports the provision of additional on-site open space through a Zoning Code amendment to encourage Outdoor Amenity Areas. Through this amendment, partially covered or partially enclosed outdoor areas such as lattice roofs, terraces, or balconies would no longer be counted towards a project’s total Floor Area, removing a longstanding barrier to providing shaded and functional outdoor areas.

The Draft Landscape and Site Design Ordinance has been informed by extensive community engagement over the last two years, including feedback from public health officials, architects and landscape architects, community organizations, and partner agencies. We invite you to participate and share your feedback on the Draft Ordinance. Outlined below are several ways to engage in the process:

For more information, please visit the Landscape and Site Design Ordinance webpage, where you can find current drafts of the Draft Landscape and Site Design Ordinance and Point System, and a Fact Sheet describing the changes proposed.

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Please sign up for updates here or email planning.urbandesign@lacity.org to provide feedback.