DO REAL PLANNING!

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Los Angeles has adopted a new mantra and we love it: DO REAL PLANNING

The LA Director of Planning, Gail Golderg, AICP, speaks about how this has become not only a saying within the planning department, but a community mantra. The city broadcasts this mantra far and wide, and community members hold the city accountable to this mantra at public planning meetings. Goldberg believes the whole community is better for it because the quality of planning is greatly elevated as a result. In most cities, few people understand what good planning should look like, unfortunately this includes folks in many planning departments. This mantra has really helped educate the public and create a foundation of planning values in Los Angeles. It has strengthened the community’s understanding and engagement in the creation of quality spaces. Every community should consider these elements when planning. Does your city do real planning?

Demand a walkable city
Offer basic design standards

Require density and transit
Eliminate department bottlenecks
Advance homes for every income
Locate jobs near housing

Produce green buildings
Landscape in abundance
Arrest visual blight
Neutralize mansionization
Nurture planning leadership
Identify smart parking requirements
Narrow road widenings
Get project input early

For more detail on these 14 points, download the full pdf of DO REAL PLANNING here or copy and paste the link below:
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/forms_Procedures/do-real-planning-final_1.pdf

The planning principles that were presented at this conference and are being implemented by folks throughout the country stand in stark contrast to much of the planning (or perhaps lack thereof) that takes place throughout the St. Louis region. With gas prices above $4/gallon and not going down any time soon and increasing economic pressures on families throughout our region, it is becoming increasingly important that we do real planning. It is the best way that any region can support long-term social and economic health.