AIALA ADVOCACY REPORT
May 3, 2022

From the desk of Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director of Government & Public Affairs


On behalf of AIA Los Angeles, we are exited to announce that we have confirmed a series of forums with many of the Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates.  They’re in person in Downtown LA.  Please join us if you’re available.  And feel free to share this with your network — all are welcome with advance RSVP.
Kevin DeLeon– Councilmember, City of Los Angeles = Tuesday, April 12 (5pm – 7pm)
Mike Feuer – City Attorney, City of Los Angeles = Monday, April 25 (5pm – 7pm)
Joe Buscaino – Councilmember, City of Los Angeles = Wednesday, April 27 (5pm – 7pm)
Ramit Varma – Co-founder, Revolution Prep = Wednesday, May 4 (5pm – 7pm)
Craig Greiwe – Former Chief Strategy Officer of Rogers & Cowan/PMK = Wednesday, May 4 (5pm – 7pm)
Mel Wilson – Business Leader & Housing Advocate = Wednesday, May 4 (5pm – 7pm)
Karen Bass – Representative, U.S. Congress, District 37 = Monday, May 9 (5pm – 7pm)
Gina Viola = Monday, May 16 (5pm – 7pm)
RSVP HERE.
Rick Caruso = Thursday, May 26 (5pm – 7pm)

 

REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PLANNING GRANTS (REAP 2.0)

On April 27, 2022 I participated in an outreach call with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) about their upcoming REAP 2.0 grants, which will provide $246 million to support “transformative and innovative projects that implement a region’s Sustainable Communities Strategy and help achieve goals of more housing and transportation options that reduce reliance on cars.”

My question/ comment:

In the spirit of the Housing Supportive Infrastructure Program, building decarbonization, urban infill, EV parking mandates, and the need for 100% electric housing, how do we leverage these funds so that LADWP especially (and other utilities in general) can upgrade their grid to expedite the delivery of affordable housing to our neighborhoods?

At present, the first project on the block has to pay the burden of upgrading the infrastructure and it’s a gigantic barrier to our ability to deliver housing more expeditiously. LADWP needs to do a comprehensive needs assessment and a grid infrastructure masterplan to ensure that we’re upgrading our grid in high-opportunity areas.  REAP 2.0 becomes a funding opportunity to pay for the strategic and comprehensive planning of those upgrades – and shifts the cost from the housing provider to the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Connecting to LADWP’s grid has become one of the most severe barriers to housing at the moment.

We have a virtual meeting scheduled with leadership at LADWP on Wednesday, May 25 (12pm).  RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org if you’d like to hear the latest status update on how we’re working with LADPW to improve their development services.

 

Recommendations from AIA LA to Improve SB 9 Implementation in City of Los Angeles

On April 27, 2022 AIA Los Angeles shared a memo with Los Angeles City Council, LADBS, and Los Angeles City Planning on how to improve SB 9 (Atkins) implementation in the City of LA.

A Summation of Our Requests include:

AIA Los Angeles believes that SB9 offers a positive move in the right direction for the City of Los Angeles. By increasing density within existing single family zoned areas of the city, the ordinance can increase housing options, increase diversity, and address the “missing middle” income renter and home buyer by offering lower cost housing options. But only if it is easy and affordable for homeowners to use the bill.

AIA Los Angeles strongly recommends that the Department of City Planning remove the identified zoning code barriers to utilizing SB9. This could be done by applying the identified existing zoning code sections to SB9 “urban lot split” projects.

AIA Los Angeles strongly recommends that the Department of City Planning clarify which specific existing zoning code sections are superseded by SB9.

AIA Los Angeles strongly recommends that the City Council address staffing and budget deficiencies in the Bureau of Engineering and Department of City Planning that currently preclude their ability to process parcel map applications in a timely and cost effective manner.

To read the complete list of recommendations, CLICK HERE.

 

The AIA LA & LACP Professional Volunteer Program (PVP)

As we launch into 2022, we have numerous upcoming opportunities for architects & designers to participate in the AIA LA Professional Volunteer Program (PVP), which is a collaborative design review program organized by AIA LA & Los Angeles City Planning (LACP)’s Urban Design Studio.

The virtual design review sessions serve as opportunities for architects and designers to help the Los Angles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio critically review upcoming projects throughout the City.

May 3, 2022 (10:00am – 12:00pm)
May 10, 2022 (10:00am – 12:00pm)
May 17, 2022 (10:00am – 12:00pm)
June 7, 2022 (10:00am – 12:00pm)

RSVP HERE.