AIA|LA & LADWP Development Services: 2026 Quarterly Meetings
AIA|LA Member = LADWP Quarterly Meeting
Non-Member = LADWP Quarterly Meeting
AIA|LA & LADWP Development Services: 2025 Quarterly Meetings
This is a virtual meeting hosted on LADPW’s WebEx platform. Please register in advance to receive the link to access the meeting.
These quarterly meetings serve as a forum for AIA members to connect directly with LADWP leadership and discuss opportunities and strategies to improve development services.
The schedule for 2026:
Thursday, March 5 (11:30 am – 12:30 pm) – RSVP HERE
Thursday, May 7 (11:30 am – 12:30 pm) – RSVP HERE
Thursday, August 13 (11:30 am – 12:30 pm) – RSVP HERE
Thursday, November 5 (11:30 am – 12:30 pm) – RSVP HERE
Please share your specific issues, recommendations, challenges, and/or questions in advance, and we’ll add them to the agenda for each meeting. Email us here = Will@aialosangeles.org.
For more information about AIA LA GO!, the AIA LA Government Outreach Committee, please CLICK HERE.
PRIME 2026 AIA|LA ADVOCACY PRIORITY w/ LADWP:
AIA|LA is requesting LADWP leadership to institute the following protocol, which we believe will substantially improve development services:
To require review/approval of the Service Planner (Office Team) and ESR (Field Team) should occur during the normal Plan Check Period – Avoids delays that happen when approval occurs during construction and when the ESR first sees a project late in the construction process.
MORE CONTEXT:
Powering Progress: How AIA|LA and LADWP Are Redesigning Collaboration
Since 2021, AIA Los Angeles and LADWP have been breaking down silos through a pioneering series of quarterly roundtables. What began as a conversation has evolved into a powerful engine for problem-solving, connecting the architects who envision our city with the utility experts who power it.
The Mission: From Transaction to Trust –
These forums are about more than just permits; they are about building a shared culture of trust and empathy. By aligning the priorities of LADWP personnel with private sector designers, we are testing new methods to tackle Los Angeles’ biggest challenges—from the housing crisis to the urban heat island effect. We recognize that environmental justice, electrification, and urban design are deeply interconnected, requiring a unified approach to infrastructure.
Turning Talk into Action – These quarterly deep-dives allow us to:
- Modernize Standards: We are analyzing how equipment size and “cultural habits” regarding utility placement impact the beauty and safety of our streets.
- Innovate: From exploring self-certification to piloting new technologies, we are identifying the obstacles that slow down progress.
- Benchmark: We are looking at regional best practices to integrate trees and landscaping with utility infrastructure, ensuring a greener public realm.
Real Results: The impact of this partnership is already visible on the ground. Together, we have achieved:
- Faster processing for utility permits.
- Critical streamlining for Executive Directive 1 (100% Affordable Housing) projects.
- Smarter financial solutions, including the amortization of line extensions.
- Greater flexibility for construction staging and transformer placement.
A Model for the Future:
We believe this partnership sets the standard for how City departments should engage with the private sector. By celebrating these wins, we hope to show the public that when architects and utilities collaborate, the entire city benefits.
