The Legacy of L.A.'s Former Planning Director

Gail Goldberg recently left the helm of the City of Los Angeles' City Planning Department. AIA Los Angeles takes a look back at her four-year tenure and the positive impacts she made.

1 minute read

August 29, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The list includes 25 separate items, ranging from the establishment of an urban design studio to Goldberg's insistence that the department do "real planning".

"Began the creation of "real" plans. Meaningful, detailed Community Plans will provide developers and communities with certainty about the future of their neighborhoods, reducing project-by-project battles over every development. New plans will result in fewer deviations and entitlement requests, and, therefore, less casework, more by-right development, and a clearer vision and direction for communities. As a result, the new plans will create greater certainty for developers and community members alike. They will also include an Environmental Impact Report and all the necessary zoning and implementation measures to carry out the plan, further reducing the need for costly and time-consuming work for each project. This program and the department reorganization are the two essential foundations for assuring positive change in the planning and development process in Los Angeles."

Thursday, August 26, 2010 in AIA Los Angeles

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund

The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.

5 seconds ago - Streetsblog USA

Cyclists on an empty rural paved road with hills and sunset in background.

Texas Bill Would Ban Road Diets, Congestion Pricing

A Texas state senator wants to prevent any discussion of congestion pricing and could suspend existing bike lane and sidewalk projects.

1 hour ago - Houston Chronicle

New York City traffic on elevated highway at sunset.

USDOT Threatens to Pull New York Highway Funding

The Trump administration wants the state to kill New York City’s congestion pricing program despite its demonstrated success.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive