Historical Housing and Land Use Study

As part of City Planning’s continued efforts to implement its equity and housing goals, the Department contracted Architectural Resources Group to initiate work on the 2021-2029 Housing Element Program 130 the Historical Housing and Land Use Study. Drawing upon diverse local and national authors, journal articles, and other published sources, the study explores the details of planning and zoning history in the City, to better understand past public and private practices that have contributed to housing discrimination and lack of opportunity. After nearly three years of rigorous research and analysis, the City is pleased to release the Historical Housing and Land Use Study–detailing the housing and land use policies that perpetuated racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the City.

The study is intended to better understand how housing and land use policies have driven inequity across the City, deepened inequality, and further limited access to opportunities in areas with higher resources. The study also addresses the varied public and private mechanisms which enforced segregation, and how these evolved over the course of the twentieth century in response to political resistance. The Department seeks to understand this historical context to ensure that future efforts consider lessons learned and address the intersection of these historic inequities.

Specifically, the study delves into key time periods in Los Angeles history. First, the study explores the Origins of Zoning and segregation (1908-1932), where Los Angeles pioneered the development of zoning tools such as zone districts and parking requirements. Next, it explores housing policy during the New Deal era (1933-1964) and the impacts of redlining, public housing, and housing desegregation in the Postwar period. Later, the study examines the fair housing movement, the establishment of Community Planning, and the homeowner advocacy seen in the later portion of the 20th century (1964-1992). Finally, the study looks at the more recent landscape of zoning regulation and housing after 1992. By taking a detailed and specific look at these periods, the study attempts to understand the implications of the exclusionary decisions and practices and how they affected various racial and cultural groups in Los Angeles.

The study’s findings will be used as a resource to City Planning’s current and future work programs, including staff training as we continue to mentor and guide planners new to the profession. It will be considered in a wide range of citywide planning efforts including future updates to the City’s growth strategy, various Community Planning programs, as well as multiple Housing Element Implementation Programs. This study is meant to serve as a resource to inform housing and land use policies that positively transform these historic patterns for a more equitable and inclusive Los Angeles.

Historical Housing and Land Use Study