AIA|LA ADVOCACY REPORT
December 21, 2022

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


A CALL TO ACTION: APPLY TO SERVE AS A CITY COMMISSIONER

On her first day in office Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness in LA.

On December 16th, Mayor Bass signed Executive Order #1, instructing city departments to streamline the review of 100% affordable housing projects within 60 days.  This will help to expedite the process to obtain permits and departmental clearances for affordable housing and temporary shelter.

Earlier this week, she officially launched the “Inside Safe” initiative, which will help place many of our unhoused neighbors into motel and hotel rooms via a master-leasing program.

AIA|LA has been advocating for urgent actions like this for the past 8+ years and we applaud Mayor Bass’ commitment to addressing our regional housing crisis.

But more needs to be done and done more holistically.  Now is the time for all architects and designers to step up and get directly involved.  Although Mayor Bass announced her mayoral transition leadership team of over 100 civic leaders, there does not seem to be one single architect consulting her on how to transform the governance of our city. (I recognized many of the names, but didn’t note an architect.  If I’m wrong, please let me know.)

We need systemic changes to how our city makes decisions, manages resources, prioritizes outcomes, and we need to completely re-design the hierarchy of the City’s executive branch to ensure greater operational effectiveness.  We need to more coherently design the decision-making tree.

And this is where you come in!

AIA|LA encourages its membership of 4500+ architects, designers, emerging professionals, and students to apply to join the new Mayoral administration and to serve on our City’s numerous Boards & Commissions.

Please apply here and contact me at Will@aialosangeles.org so that AIA|LA can support your nomination.

We are also encouraging architects and designers to submit their resume for leadership roles in city departments and on the Board of Public Works.  The City of Los Angeles is experiencing a substantial personnel challenge and many of the departments have vacancy rates of over 25% due to recent early-retirement programs, etc.  Not only are these excellent jobs, these are vital positions to ensure that we have the human capacity to address our region’s most pressing issues.

APPLY TO SERVE AS A CITY COMMISSIONER

CLICK HERE FOR MEMBER PERSPECTIVE ON LEGISLATIVE DAY 2022

2022 AIA LA ADVOCACY SUMMARY REPORT

On behalf of the regional LA architecture and design community, AIA Los Angeles (AIA LA) has been actively involved advancing (or opposing) numerous initiatives that will impact the built and natural environment of our communities.

A status summary of those efforts can be found here.

Increasing the capacity for more housing and urban infill development:

  1. Local Implementation of SB 9 = The California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (HOME) Act.
  2. DTLA 2040 & The New Zoning Code
  3. Housing Element Update (City of Los Angeles)
  4. Community Plan Updates – Los Angeles City Planning
  5. Livable Communities Initiative / Transit-Rich Corridors / Analogous Citywide Regulations / Mid-Scale Development (Council File: 21-1230-S2)
  6. Opposition to Expansion of Fire District #1
  7. Adaptive Reuse (Citywide)

Improving Development Services and promoting a healthy, functional, equitable and more inclusive city:

  1. City of LA Mayoral Candidate Forums
  2. LADWP Development Services
  3. BUILD LA // LADBS & BOE Permit Streamlining
  4. Zoning Code / Reorganization of Administration Provisions (Processes and Procedures Ordinance) / Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Amendment (Council File: 12-0460-S4)
  5. Design Review Sessions w/ LACP Urban Design Studio
  6. Healthy Buildings, Healthy Places Program
  7. Building Decarbonization and All-electric new construction. (CF 22-0151)
  8. Embodied Carbon Motion
  9. Low Carbon Concrete Motion
  10. AIA LA Legislative Day(s) at City Hall

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org

 

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