Fostering a safe work environment for all and the re-evaluation of past zoning practices which harmed communities of color, the work program of the Office of Racial Justice, Equity, and Transformative Planning (ORJETP) centers equity, inclusivity, and social justice in the land use planning process.
Office Mission
ORJETP aims to infuse dignity, racial justice and equity into our workforce, workplace culture, and the services we provide to Angelenos across the city through collaboration with the four department bureaus; Citywide Policy Planning, Project Planning, Community Planning, and Operations and Engagement.
Introduction
In 2020, the ORJETP was established with the goal of acknowledging, addressing, and amending the legacy of racism and segregation in planning practices. Led by Principal Planner and Chief Equity Officer for Los Angeles City Planning, Faisal Roble, the Office convenes a biweekly steering committee and collaborates on equity-related initiatives across the Department. Since its establishment, the Office has focused on transforming workplace culture through an emphasis on cultural sensitivity training and developing professional pathways for staff from underrepresented groups. Beginning in 2023, the Office will embark on an external outreach strategy to identify inequitable policies and practices that shape the services the Planning Department provides to the public. This dual introspective and outward-looking approach will guide the development of a Racial Equity Action Plan to dismantle systemic racism and promote racial justice within our Department culture.
Department Racial Equity Commitment
City Planning believes that racial equity is both a journey and destination. As an outcome, racial equity ensures that all people can prosper and reach their full potential regardless of their racial identity. As a deliberative process, racial equity means moving beyond diversity and inclusion by:
- Eradicating societal bias and making neighborhood amenities, public safety, and wealth creation equitable for all residents.
- Identifying the root causes of systemic oppression and actively dismantling institutional and structural racism; acknowledging the particular ways in which anti-Black racism leads to racialized disparities.
- Intentionally making institutional and transformative change to remove structural inequities often placed on Blacks, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and LGBTQ+ communities.
