ABSTRACT
The history of land-use and environmental regulation in Los Angeles (LA) is a story of winners and losers. Early leaders of the 20th century in planning and real estate, however, viewed land-use regulation as "an exact science": a practice that through the select elimination of private abuses could deliver maximized prosperity. Planning Director Calvin Hamilton sought to bring the Concept Plan in line with home owners' demands, endorsing the department's own zoning rollback study. When a strategic vision for a mixed use downtown was adopted in the mid-'90s without a corresponding change in zoning standards, its implementation was dependent upon specific development deals. Creating such opportunities for infill housing development within the downtown is one of the key policy features of the Downtown Specific Plan. Community advocates, planning staff, and the planning commission are now working toward the incorporation of a broader set of health policies in the city's General Plan.
