At a Glance: Policies for Neighborhoods
This microsite explores twelve key policies and tools that can help residents in the City of Los Angeles conserve the architecture, history, and culture of their neighborhoods, now and in the future.
Please note that while certain policies, such as the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, have been scrutinized in recent years for contributing to the erosion of neighborhood character, the Conservancy and others are advocating for clearer rules and guidelines that would ensure greater compatibility and help incentivize preservation.
Click on the links below for in-depth explanations of what these policies mean for you.
Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO)
Amended in 2017, the BMO is a citywide policy that regulates the scale and massing of new construction in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Community Plan Implementation Overlay (CPIO) District
CPIO Districts are a specialized zoning tool designed to carry out the goals and objectives of newly updated Community Plans.
A conservation district is a zoning tool that can help preserve and enhance older neighborhoods that may not desire or qualify for historic designation.
Demolition Notification Ordinance
The Demolition Notification Ordinance is a citywide policy that requires public disclosure of demolitions planned for structures older than forty-five years of age.
The Downtown Design Guide outlines standards (requirements) and guidelines (suggestions) for proposed new construction projects in downtown Los Angeles.
Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ)
An HPOZ is a zoning tool that protects and preserves neighborhoods composed of architecturally and historically significant structures.
Interim Control Ordinances (ICOs)
The neighborhood conservation ICOS created a two-year moratorium on development in certain single-family neighborhoods while long-term measures, such as HPOZ designation, were in-progress.
Identified through SurveyLA, planning districts are discrete areas, including commercial corridors and residential clusters, that are not eligible for historic designation, but warrant special consideration in land use decisions.
re:code, R1 Single-Family Zones
re:code LA is the first comprehensive update to Los Angeles' zoning code since 1946. One of the first components to be unveiled is a suite of new R1 single-family zones.
Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance
The Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance aims to encourage the construction of smaller, more affordable infill housing marketed to first-time home buyers.
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) / Transfer of Floor Area Rights (TFAR)
TDR and TFAR are economic incentive programs that help direct new development away from sensitive areas, including parcels containing historic resources, by allowing property owners can sell unused development potential from their sites to other landowners.