Los Angeles | Los Angeles Conservancy
Photos (clockwise from upper left): Broadway in downtown L.A. by Annie Laskey/L.A. Conservancy; Hollywood Sign by Joey Lax-Salinas on Flickr; Kansas Sebastian on Flickr; Wilshire Boulevard by Flora Chou/L.A. Conservancy

Los Angeles

Los Angeles has established itself as a preservation leader on several fronts.

The city’s historic preservation ordinance, adopted in 1962, is one of the earliest in the nation for a major city.

Los Angeles established an Office of Historic Resources in 2006 to coordinate the city’s historic preservation activities and support its Cultural Heritage Commission.

Los Angeles became a Certified Local Government in 2007, and its active Mills Act program is the second-largest in the state.

Los Angeles has designated over 1,000 local landmarks and twenty-nine historic districts (HPOZs) that encompass more than 14,000 properties.

Los Angeles is in the process of conducting its first-ever citywide historic resources survey, SurveyLA. This survey is the largest such project ever undertaken by a single municipality, spanning over 800,000 parcels.

The scoring details for this community appear below. To see scores for all communities, compare specific communities and categories, and learn more about the Report Card, visit our Report Card microsite.

Category (points available)
Score
Total Score (out of a possible 245, plus Extra Credit): 
240
Historic Preservation Ordinance (150) / Honorary Ordinance (10): 
150
Dedicated Historic Preservation Commission (5): 
5
Dedicated Preservation Staff (15): 
15
Ability to Designate Historic Districts (15): 
15
Active Landmark Designation (at least annually) (5): 
5
Survey of Historic Resources: Citywide (15) / Partial (10): 
15
Notes: 
In progress
Survey Updated Within Past 5 Years (5): 
5
Mills Act Incentive Program (10): 
10
Additional Incentives (5): 
5
Certified Local Government (5): 
5
Historic Preservation Element or Plan (5): 
0
Extra Credit (1-25): 
0

If you'd like to get involved in preservation in Los Angeles, you have a large number of options, depending on your location and interests. 

City Office

Office of Historic Resources

SurveyLA

Ken Bernstein
Manager, Office of Historic Resources
ken.bernstein@lacity.org
(213) 978-1200

Local Groups

Given its vast size, Los Angeles has a number of local preservation groups. Just a few include:

Art Deco Society of Los Angeles

Fremont Place Association

Friends of Griffith Park

Highland Park Heritage Trust

Hollywood Heritage  

Museum of the San Fernando Valley

West Adams Heritage Association

If any of this information is out of date, or to suggest other groups or ways to get involved, please contact us at info@laconservancy.org or (213) 623-2489.

Most of the following resources are specific to Los Angeles. For general resources related to local preservation and our Preservation Report Card, please visit our Report Card microsite.

Historic Preservation Ordinance

Designated Local Landmarks

Landmark Designation Process

Mills Act Application Process

Historic Resources Surveys

Guide to CEQA (Conservancy website)

If any of these links are broken or incorrect, or if you would like to suggest other resources for preservation in Los Angeles, please let us know by emailing info@laconservancy.org.