AIA|LA ADVOCACY REPORT
June 6, 2023

From the desk of Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director of Government & Public Affairs


AIA LA City Leader Breakfast Receptions

So far this year we’ve hosted breakfast receptions with Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, and LADWP General Manager Martin Adams.  These forums serve as an opportunity for AIA members to connect directly with civic leaders, to ask questions about policy priorities, and to share ideas and recommendations on how to improve development services, etc.

Upcoming receptions include:

Douglas Guthrie – President & CEO, HACLA = June 8th (8am)

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath – Supervisor, Los Angeles County, District #3 = June 29 (8am)

 

An Important Update About Adaptive ReUse 2.0 (Citywide)

Here’s an important update on our efforts to promote & improve Adaptive Reuse 2.0 (citywide).  Feedback and input is much appreciated!

1. Meeting w/ LACP

Via zoom, we’re meeting with Los Angeles City Planning on Tuesday, June 13 (2pm) to discuss the recently released draft Adaptive Reuse 2.0 ordinance.

If you’d like to join, please RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org

This meeting will serve as an opportunity to provide specific feedback on how to improve the draft ordinance with provisions, criteria, and incentives that will make adaptive reuse more feasible and effective.  Kindly share your ideas in writing about specific improvements with me in advance I’ll be certain to include your remarks as we ‘mark up’ the draft ordinance.

One idea that we’d like to advance is modeled after the City of Calgary’s Downtown Development Incentive Program, which provides incentive grants of $75 per square foot for office to housing conversions (up to $15 million per property). 

2. Greater LA

I’m delighted to share that Frances Anderton interviewed Roberto Vasquez, AIA on KCRW’s “Greater LA”.  As you may recall, AIA LA approached Roberto to write a letter of recommendations to improve AR citywide, which the AIA LA Board endorsed earlier this year.

LA wants to make it easier to turn empty office buildings into housing

Hosted by Steve Chiotakis // May. 30, 2023

3. Los Angeles City Planning (LACP) Webinars on Adaptive Reuse draft ordinance.

LACP is organizing three public webinars to learn more about the draft ordinance.  You’re encouraged to register to attend if you’re available.

  • Tuesday, June 6 (5:30pm) = RSVP HERE
  • Wednesday, June 7 (5:30pm) – (disponible en Español) = RSVP HERE
  • Thursday, June 8 (11:30am) = RSVP HERE

 

Adaptive Reuse RESOURCES:

Draft Adaptive Reuse Ordinance

LACP Adaptive Reuse Fact Sheet

AIA LA’s Recommendations to Improve & Advance Adaptive Reuse Citywide by Roberto Vazquez, AIA – Project Director, OMGIVNING 

 

More Resources:

Looking forward to hearing your ideas on how to advance next steps!

AIA LA Roundtable Discussion with Deputy Mayor Jenna Hornstock (HOUSING)

Early this summer, we plan to convene a roundtable discussion with Deputy Mayor Jenna Hornstock to take a deep dive into providing specific recommendations on how to improve housing opportunities in the City of Los Angeles.  As the Deputy Mayor of Housing, Ms. Hornstock has decades of experience (CRA/ LA, METRO, SCAG, a former LA City Planning Commissioner)  implementing policies and procedures to improve housing outcomes.  Our roundtable discussion will serve as a forum to strengthen a collaborative partnership between AIA|LA and the Mayor’s Office, as well as, identify proactive initiatives and strategies to improve our ability to deliver more housing opportunities citywide.  Please reach out to me at will@aialosangeles.org if you’d like to be involved in this roundtable discussion.  To make the meeting as effective as possible, we’ll plan to limit participation to 15 to 20 housing experts from AIA Los Angeles.

We have scheduled this roundtable for Thursday, August 17 (8am).  RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org

 

Advocacy Update AIA California Board of Directors Adopted Positions on Legislation

By Scott Terrell – Director of Government Relations, AIA California

The AIA California Board of Directors regularly takes positions on legislation that impacts the profession, whether that impact is positive or negative. During the April 28, 2023 board meeting, the board took positions on 57 bills.

The process followed to arrive at those positions is described below. (For a link to view all positions, click here, or scroll to the end of this article.)

The 2023 Legislative Session saw a higher number of legislation introduced then normal, in actuality, the highest number in over a decade: 1,751 Assembly Bills and 881 Senate Bills, for a total of 2,632 bills.

AIA California staff reviewed all, pulling out a couple of hundred bills that were relevant to each of our four legislation review subcommittees, which together equal about 40 AIA CA members: Climate Action, Urban Design, Housing, and Advocacy.

These committees review the legislation assigned to them and make recommendations to the Board.

The bills were then reviewed by the Executive Committee before receiving a vote from the Board on official positions. To date, the AIA California Board of Directors has voted to take positions on 57 bills this year.

Bills are often amended or changed drastically throughout the legislative process. AIA CA monitors those changes and brings any bills back to the committees and board for review if needed.

Here are the Board Adopted positions on legislation, as of April 28, 2023.

 

Quarterly Meetings w/ LADBS 

We’ve confirmed dates for our series of quarterly meetings with w/ Osama Younan, P.E. – General Manager, LADBS.  These quarterly forums serve as an opportunity for AIA members to connect directly with LADBS leadership and to hear status updates and emerging initiatives.  Kindly register via the links below.

These meetings will be on zoom again this year (for the time being).  Please email will@aialosangeles.org specific items and issues that you’d like to add to the agenda at least one week in advance.  We’ll tally the issues and share with Osama in advance so that he can best prepare responses with his team.

  1. RSVP HERE = Monday, September 25 (12pm – 1pm)
  2. RSVP HERE = Monday, December 11 (12pm – 1pm)

 

LACP Design Review Sessions

In 2023, we will be coordinating thirty-six virtual design review sessions, which will serve as opportunities for architects and designers to help the Los Angeles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio critically review upcoming projects throughout the City.

Upcoming sessions include:

Tuesday, June 13 (10am – 12pm)
Tuesday, June 20 (10am – 12pm)

Join us here w/ RSVP to gain zoom access.

 

FROM AIA NATIONAL 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org

 

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