La design guidelines ppd 619 team 6 paper with appendix

Citywide Commercial Design Guidelines

PPD 619: Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl

USC Spring Semester 2012

Project Group #6:

Sandy Mendler

Ruby Chong

Muriel Skaf

Jay Lee

Introduction

The Citywide Design Guidelines for Pedestrian Oriented / Commercial & Mixed Use Projects is a

document that was developed to support the implementation of the Los Angeles General Plan

Framework Element. The Commercial Guidelines, together with similar documents to address

multi-family residential and industrial uses, will establish and communicate design expectations

for new development based on citywide goals and urban design best practices as represented

by the “Ten Principles of Urban Design.” The guidelines expand on the issues presented in

chapter 5 (Urban Form) of the Framework Plan, with a particular focus on improving

streetscapes and walkability. The staff report notes that the guidelines “will illustrate ways for

individual projects to promote walkability, maintain neighborhood form and character, and

promote creative development solutions that balance existing neighborhood character and

improve the streetscape experiencei.”

This paper provides a high level overview of the Citywide Commercial Design Guidelines, the

background issues that led to their creation, and the method of implementation that is currently

employed. This introduction will be followed by brief discussion of other design guidance

documents that relate to the issues of pedestrian-oriented development and sustainable design,

and a series of recommendations including the following:

• Recommendation #1: A Refined Review Process and the Technical Advisory Committee

• Recommendation #2: Develop mandatory pedestrian-oriented street standards to

complement and support design guidelines

• Recommendation #3: Incentives linking Transit and Good Design Goals

• Recommendation #4: Expedite Implementation of Form Based Codes as a Tool for

Simplifying Code and Design Review Compliance

• Recommendation #5: Incorporate Design Guidelines for Photovoltaics


Group #6: Mendler, Chong, Skaf, Lee

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Background

In 1974, the city adopted a general planning, called Concept Los Angeles, to provide a long term

plan to manage growth. The central theme of Concept Los Angeles was to preserve single-

family neighborhoods by directing growth into a series of more dense “centers.” In the late

1980s, the city imposed development standards on commercial corner developments and mini-

shopping centers that were intended to improve the quality of commercial development and to

protect adjacent residential uses. The General Plan Framework that was approved in 1996 and

again in 2001 provided general design guidance but did not replace the earlier design standards

on commercial corner developments and mini-shopping centers, which are outlined in the Los

Angeles Municipal Code Sections 12.22-A, 23 and 12.24-W, 27.

The Framework Element approved in 1996 and again in 2001, refines previously adopted City

policy and provides a much needed update to Concept Los Angeles. While the current

Framework Plan is similar, in that it is based on “conservancy areas” that are protected from

development and “targeted growth” areas for development, the process is different. The

Framework Plan very intentionally puts detailed decision making in the hands of the

neighborhood groups, defining citywide policies that will be implemented through subsequent

amendments of the City's community plans, zoning ordinances, and other pertinent programsii.

In 2008, in an effort to simplify its zoning ordinance, the Los Angeles Department of City

Planning (LADCP) launched an initiative to rewrite selected portions of the code. Part of this

effort was to conduct nine code studies, one of which identified a number of issues regarding

the City’s existing commercial development standards. The following concerns were raised:

1. Inefficiency: all projects that deviate from the ordinance’s basic development standards

must file for a conditional use permit, with a mandatory public hearing

2. Limited scope: development standards only apply to a “commercial corner

development” or a “mini-shopping center”

3. Lack of neighborhood protection: residential neighborhoods that aren’t located next to

a commercial corner development or a mini-shopping center have no protection from

commercial uses

In response to these findings, LADCP authorized development of commercial citywide design

guidelines that are “broadly applicable, broadly enforceable, and more detailediii.” LADCP has

also decided to “recommend a streamlined procedure to review requests that deviate from

these guidelines… and study approaches to better protect residential neighborhoods from

incompatible usesiv. Both the staff recommended alternative land use plan and CEQA document

were certified and adopted in July 2009.



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Implementation Process

The proposed design guidelines have no affect on “by-right” projects; they apply only to new

developments and significant building alterations that require discretionary approval. Even in

the case of discretionary review, the guidelines are merely performance goals and not zoning

regulations or development standards. Therefore, the applicability of the guidelines is flexible.

Projects that deviate from the guidelines do not need to file for a conditional use permit.

Instead, applications that deviate must justify the proposed design by explaining how it complies

with the guidelines, General Plan, and Municipal Code.

Recommendation #1: A Refined Review Process and the Technical Advisory Committee

It is extremely difficult to implement design guidelines because they are suggestions, not

requirements. Design guidelines must be implemented on a case-by-case basis and project

compliance is determined by the discretion of LADCP staff. One set of projects is not being

influenced at all, and the other set of projects must submit to an unpredictable and

subjective review process. Instead, the guidelines should outline a specific methodology for

all projects that will bring a consistent, yet efficient consideration of site conditions and

circumstances to the design review process. Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh and Associates, a

planning consultant firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, has outlines a streamlined

administrative process to accomplish this goal.

The proposed “Administrative Process” creates a new type of permit that allows variations

that are consistent with the code’s intent, and includes review by a Technical Advisory

Committee (TAC) comprised of architects, developers, business owners, landscape

architects, planners, and residents. It would provide much-needed technical assistance to

planners that may not have professional training in design principles and tools, and make

recommendations to the permitting authority to help determine whether projects are in

compliance. The City of Los Angeles is already attempting to develop a similar process with

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Another important function of the TAC would be to review the design guidelines on an

annual or biannual basis to provide for continuous improvement through a formalized

process. Furthermore, this would allow for the guidelines to be refined over time as they are

implemented and field-tested. Therefore, the guidelines would be a living, not static

document and adapt to changing circumstances and community desires. This approach

could be justified under P67, in the implementation portion of the Framework Plan, which

calls for creation of an “expedited development processes and permitting assistance

measuresv.”



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Relationship to Other Ordinances and Guidelines

While the Commercial Design Guidelines are not mandatory but rather serve as guidance or

recommendations, it is particularly interesting to study the relationship they have with other

overlapping adopted and/or proposed ordinances in the Los Angeles Municipal Code.

The Importance of Pedestrian-Oriented Space

The General Plan Framework Element is a strategy for long-term growth that responds to State

and Federal mandates to plan for the future. In planning for the future, the city used population

forecasts provided by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), which

projected over 20% growth between 1990 and 2010vi. Should the City continue to grow, the

Element provides a means for accommodating new population and employment in a manner

which enhances rather than degrades the environment.

The challenge is that the City of Los Angeles has insufficient vacant land to accommodate the

forecast population increases, which means that reuse and intensification of existing developed

properties is required. Unless carefully planned, future growth could significantly alter the

character of many neighborhoods and districts. The growth strategy underscores the

importance of developing successful urban neighborhoods that can attract the demographic

seeking an urban lifestyle, and also support the growing transportation network with sufficient

density.

With a diverse population and pervasive suburban sprawl, there are differences of opinion

within the city on the benefits of more “urban” pedestrian-oriented strategies, versus more

“suburban” auto-oriented strategies. The staff report for the Commercial Guidelines spoke to

this. For example, the Studio City Neighborhood Council indicated a preference for parking lots

fronting major streets, and felt that designs favoring consistent street walls were characteristic

of older, and less desirable urban neighborhoodsvii

. The locally driven process behind the

Framework Element is intended to give voice to this diversity of opinion by offering

neighborhood control. Planner Michelle Levy offered that the city is planning to encourage

pedestrian-oriented design on all projects with the understanding that some parts of the city

that are more auto-oriented will only implement a portion of the recommendations. Rather

than forcing compliance, the city prefers to allow neighborhood flexibility.

Walkability Checklist and Living Street Plan

The Los Angeles Walkability Checklist served as a primary resource and point of departure for

the Commercial Pedestrian-Oriented Design Guidelinesviii

. It provides a check list of

recommended strategies to improve the pedestrian environment in public right-of-ways and on

private property. The implementation strategies represent best practices for: sidewalks,

crosswalks and street crossings, on-street parking, utilities, building orientation, off-street



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parking and driveways, landscaping, and building facades. Compliance with the checklist is

voluntary as it is neither a requirement, nor part of the zoning code, however it has served as a

resource for projects that require design review. By incorporating the pedestrian design

concepts in the Commercial Guidelines the City has created a mechanism for elevating the

issues in the design review process. City planners are also hopeful that the communities that

have not yet adopted a community specific plan will use the Commercial Guidelines as a

template that can be used to begin the process of specific planning.

Another tool the County has invested in is the Living Street Plan, a model street design manual

which focuses on strategies to safely accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and other

vehicles. Along with basic principles, the manual incorporates strategies to create beautiful,

active, economically vibrant, and sustainable streets to enhance the community aesthetically

and environmentally.ix The Manual for Living Streets specifies detailed design standards

including road patterns and sidewalk widths. While the “Commercial Citywide Design

Guidelines” addresses similar strategies, it differs by encouraging building related issues that

trigger concerns about density in addition to issues related to the public realm.

Recommendation #2: Develop mandatory pedestrian-oriented street standards to

complement and support design guidelines

The San Francisco Better Streets Plan is a good example of a pedestrian-oriented street

design standard that has been adopted by the city as a mandatory requirement. The San

Francisco Plan addresses all street types with standards that are pedestrian- and transit-

oriented, ecologically high-performance and balance the needs of all of the City’s users. The

highly detailed plan was developed with extensive research into best practices in street and

streetscape design management from peer cities, prior to developing a street typology

matrix to categorize 12 primary street typess based on factors that affect the pedestrian

realm, including adjacent land use character and scale, transportation context, and existing

and recommended geometries, amenities, and ecological characteristics and opportunities.

Mayor Gavin Newsom introduced legislation in September 2010 to adopt the Better Streets

Plan into the Municipal Code and General Plan. In 2011, the Better Streets Plan received a

CNU Charter Award and an APA California Northern Chapter Best Practices Award.

TOD overlays – Project RENEW

As part of the project RENEW endeavors, The Department of City Planning (DCP) in the City of

Los Angeles is partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to explore

ways that Transit Oriented Development (TOD) overlays can provide positive health outcomes,

and reduce obesity by improving walkability around transit stops in South Los Angelesx. Many of

this initiative’s proposals overlap with those of the citywide commercial design guidelines. TOD

overlays would “complement the existing character of neighborhoods while maximizing the



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housing and retail potential of nearby transit stationsxi.” They also include sustainability and

architecture standards, with a form-based approach to the building envelope. The TOD plans

will trigger the use of the commercial design guidelines, because use of density bonuses and use

of structured incentives (density bonuses and parking reductions). The use of the guidelines is

well aligned with the goals of TOD, as the commercial design guidelines aim at nurturing

neighborhood characters while developing inviting and accessible areas. That said, the

guidelines could benefit from additional implementation tools that would provide greater

support project for RENEW’s regulatory schemes.

Recommendation #3: Incentives linking Transit and Good Design Goals

The second recommendation centers on encouraging more “by-right” development projects

to engage in the discretionary review process that triggers incorporation of the design

guidelines into their projects. The City of Los Angeles could provide greater incentives for

applicants to propose projects with higher density at current and future transit sites with tax

breaks, density and FAR allowances, transfer of density and FAR, increased use of maximum

parking ratios, commercial allowances, and other tools commonly used in incentive zoning

and historic preservation. This would meet both goals of supporting use of the design

guidelines and making transit more viable with increased densities.

Code Simplification and Form based codes

The Department of City Planning is currently undergoing efforts at code simplification.

According to Eric Lopez, planner at the Department of City planning (DCP) in Los Angeles, 40% of

the city is under governed by stringent specific plans. The remaining 60% are distributed

between specific use districts, Community Plan Implementation Overlays (CPIOs), River

Improvement Overlay, etc. Project RENEW would add TOD overlays to that conundrum.

According to Michelle Levy, another planner at DCP, the design guidelines would be used in

those ‘unincorporated’ territories not covered by overlays, CPIOs and specific plans.

In addition, there has been mention of moving the Zoning Code to a more hybrid, if not form-

based model. If this happens, what would the future of the design guidelines be? In a

presentation he gave for an urban planning seminar course on smart growth, Eric Lopez

discussed the possibility of a “modular” code for the city of Los Angeles, where the city would be

split in Uses, Functions and Orientations (what he calls UFO). Such an approach could be used to

fully embed all of the design guidelines into an integrated tool, eliminating the need for a

separate design guidance document. Planner Michelle Levy sees the guidelines as a useful

transition tool. According to her, moving to form-based codes will happen, at best, in 5 years. In

the mean time, the citywide design guidelines may be the most convenient measure to use in

preparation of such a move in the planning department.



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Recommendation #4: Expedite Implementation of Form Based Codes as a Tool for

Simplifying Code and Design Review Compliance

The numerous planning regulatory regimes in Los Angeles – Green Building Ordinance, TOD

Overlays, CPIOs, design guidelines, etc. – all pertain to the same objectives. Each of them

works to create sustainable, healthy and vibrant communities; however, the multiplicity of

regimes is detrimental in terms of financing and bureaucracy for developers, residents,

planners and officials. The use of a form-based zoning code for streamlined review and

approval under multiple ordinances is rapidly gaining popularity, as it promises to remove

lengthy bureaucratic procedures and redundancy in the planning realm. This approach

should be supported and fast tracked.

Green Building Ordinance

On earth day 2008, Mayor Villaraigosa signed the Green Building Ordinance, an ordinance that

would create series of aggressive requirements and incentives for developers to meet the US

Green Building Council’s Energy and Design (LEED) standardsxii

. Later on in December 2010, the

ordinance was modified to realign itself with CalGreen requirements rather than LEED

standardsxiii

. Included in the incentives the developers receive is expedited processing of

discretionary entitlements, provided the project abides by the full requirements mandated by

the ordinance.

While the ordinance tackles the overall performance of the building(s), the design guidelines

govern sustainability measures that relate to building form and site design. For example, the

guidelines encourage installing bicycle racks and lockers within existing and planned bike routes,

installing overhangs to reduce daytime heat gain, using white or reflective paint on rooftops and

light porous paving materials, planting street trees, limiting irrigation needs by selecting native

plants, orienting open spaces to the sun and views, etc.

Both the design guidelines and the green building ordinance work well hand-in-hand to ensure a

more sustainable built environment. While the Green Building Ordinance has more legislative

weight, ensuring that sustainable technology standards are met, the passive measures that the

design guidelines suggest remain basic suggestions.

Recommendation #5: Incorporate Design Guidelines for Photovoltaics

Active sustainable technologies could be integrated into the design framework for

commercial buildings, to complement the passive sustainable building strategies currently in

the Guidelines. Active technologies can include the design of photovoltaics on the building’s

roof to genearate renewable energy while also reducing the urban heat island effect.

According to the Solar Energy System Guidelines of Santa Barbara, there are various design



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guidelines focused on the different features of photovoltaic systems including the size,

location, and arrangementxiv

. Incorporating the following strategies into the existing

Guidelines can further encourage a sustainable built environment while also educating the

community and creating environmental, economic, and social benefits.

1. System Size:

a. The system should not be overly publicly visible or larger than necessary to fulfill the

building’s electricity needs.

2. Location:

a. System should be located on the south side of the site for maximum benefits of

solar gain. However if this results in a visible disturbance in the building’s design,

then benefits can still be achieved by placing the system on the west or east side of

the site.

b. System should be placed at the rear façade of a building and only mounted on the

roof.

3. Arrangement and Design:

a. Solar panels should complement the overall design of the building. The shape and

proportions of the panel system should match the shape and proportions of the

roof.

b. Cover the entire surface of the roof with an array of panels or create a rectangle

shape system rather than an irregular shape that is less attractive.

c. Avoid creating an interrupted array of panels or breaking it into multiple patches

throughout the roof.

d. Coordinate or at least compliment the panel color with the roof and building color.

Conclusion

Through the design of buildings, the “Commercial Citywide Design Guidelines” provides detailed

principles and strategies to enhance the urban environment. Addressing architectural elements

from façade design and signage to landscape, the Guidelines support the General Plan

Framework’s focus on creating a unified sense of community for the City of Los Angeles.

Incorporating the theories of Smart Growth, these guidelines emphasize the opportunities for

open public spaces, pedestrian activity, and mass transit. The guidelines also include strategies

to improve safety and design approaches to serve as marketing tactics to enhance the overall

built environment as well as the economy of a city like Los Angeles. However this Plan, which

was established in May 2011, can be improved. Questions also remain about the structure of

the guidelines. Is it good policy for the city to encourage neighborhoods to create

alternate design guidelines? Is this needed given how the guidelines focus on issues of

basic quality and public safety?



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Appendix:

PROPOSED REVISIONS TO STAFF REPORT FROM TEAM 6, USC SMART GROWTH AND URBAN

SPRAWL CLASS 619

PROJECT LOCATION: Citywide

PROPOSED PROJECT: NO DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS PROPOSED; REVISIONS TO CITYWIDE

DESIGN GUIDELINES PROPOSED

The adoption of Citywide Design Guidelines by the City Planning Commission is proposed for

Multifamily Residential, Mixed-Use, Commercial, and Industrial projects, as an Appendix to the

General Plan Framework Element. The purpose of the Design Guidelines is twofoldthreefold:

1.)to implement the health and safety related design values in the Ten Principles of Urban

Design, a part of the Framework Element, on individualbroadly on all projects; and to2.) to

consolidate basic design guidelines that are qualitative in nature, in a format that will be

common throughout most Community Plans in one document, allowing individual New

Community Plans to address issues of building density and form in tailored, neighborhood-

specific design guidelines; and 3.) to pilot new implementation strategies that enhance and

streamline the review process, engage expertise from the professional design community in an

advisory capacity, and provide additional incentives that support Smart Growth. The Enhanced

Design Guidelines will establish design expectations for new development based on Citywide

goals, policies and objectives while aligning with other approved city plans focused on TOD and

Sustainable Design. . The Both the Design Guidelines and the Design Standards will illustrate

ways for individual projects to promote walkability, maintain neighborhood form and character,

and promote creative development solutions that balance existing neighborhood character and

improve the streetscape experience. The Enhanced Design Guidelines will apply to all new

development proposals and substantial building alterations requiring discretionary approvals

from the Department of City Planning. As well, they may also be used by staff in other

Departments or community members for advisory review of new development applications. The

proposed Pedestrian-Oriented Streetscape Standards will elevate the streetscape design

concepts previously included in the design guidelines to a mandatory design standard,

enhancing health and safety in all new construction and significant renovation projects.

REQUESTED ACTION: Adoption of the Enhanced Citywide Design Guidelines, and new

Streetscape Design Standards by the City Planning Commission as an Appendix to the General

Plan Framework Element to implement the Ten Principles of Urban Design, under the authority

pursuant to LAMC Section 11.5.4. The Enhanced Citywide Guidelines and Standards are an

implementation tool as allowed and derived from the General Plan Framework. They are to

enforce health and safety in urbanized commercial districts, while assisting in developing

context-sensitive guidelines as part of the locally prepared plans that align with city plans

focused on TOD and Sustainable Design.



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RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Approve the Negative Declaration as the environmental clearance on the subject.

2. Adopt the attached Findings as part of this project.

3. Adopt Citywide Pedestrian-Oriented Streetscape Standards as an Appendix to the Framework

Element of the General Plan

4. Adopt the Enhanced Adopt the Citywide Design Guidelines as an Appendix to the Framework

Element of the General Plan

Endnotes:

i From the executive summary of the LA Citywide General Plan Framework, LA Department of Planning,

for more info see: http://cityplanning.lacity.org/cwd/framwk/chapters/00/00.htm ii Ibid

iii See Directors Report on Code Simplification dated September 11, 2008.

iv Ibid

v See http://cityplanning.lacity.org/cwd/framwk/chapters/10/10.htm#approvals for more information on

Framework Implementation. P67: Create expedited development processes and permitting assistance

measures that:

• Are consistent with the policies and standards of the General Plan Framework Element;

• Assign a planning staff person to take projects through the City approval process for

development projects located in a centers, district, or mixed-use boulevard or on a transit

corridor;

• Streamline the impact analysis requirements for new development applications;

• Create public service centers which cluster departments that provide public services (i.e.

water/power, planning, zoning, building and safety, etc.). Locate service centers throughout the

City; and

• Improve the permitting center to facilitate the application process for and the issuance of all

City-required development permits. vi It is interesting to note that the projected population increases to 2010 did not materialize, with actual

growth less than 10%. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places Over

100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2009 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009" vii

From the Department of City Planning, Recommendation Report, dated June 9th

, 2011. viii

Based on interview with planner, Michelle Levy, April 11, 2012. ix "Model Design Manual for Living Streets." Los Angeles County, May 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

<htthttp://modelstreetdesignmanual.com/model_street_design_manual.pdf> x For more information on project RENEW, refer to: http://www.chc-inc.org/RENEW

xi LA DCP/LA County Health Project RENEW Team Staff Report (March 2012)

xii City of Los Angeles, Ordinance No. 179820 “Green Building Program”, Effective November 1, 2008

(Council File # 07-0705) xiii

Refer to the new ordinance: City of Los Angeles, Ordinance No. 181479, Effective January 1, 2011

(Council File # 10-0735) xiv

"Solar Energy System Design Guidelines & Solar Recognition Program." Community Development

Department and the City of Santa Barbara, Dec. 2006. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

<http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D47E4961-32DA-4E19-9690-

7F11ED0562E2/0/Exhibit_A_Solar_Guidelines_Recognition_Program.pdf>.

Technology

La design guidelines ppd 619 team 6 paper with appendix