The History of Planning in Los Angeles
Before Los Angeles was established as a city it was a pueblo on the order of Governor Felipe de Neve in 1781. [1] Orders were made to bring 24 families from Mexico to begin establishing the new city. [1] Each of these settlers were provided with land, allowance, tools, and livestock to build the city. [2] De Neve drew up plans calling for the settlement to be thirty-six square miles with a central plaza. The plaza was to be surrounded by lots of land for each of the settlers to maintain. A distance from the plaza, De Neve wanted to have fields for the settlers to support the community with agriculture needs. [3] As time continued so did the awareness of what Los Angeles had to offer.
As far back as the early 1880’s Southern California was known nationally for its abundant sunshine. This attraction was more than enough to bring so called “health seekers” westward. [4] In the 1880 Census, Los Angeles was the 187th largest city in the US. Over the next 35 years Los Angeles grew to be the largest city in the west. One Gentleman who took advantage of this westward movement was a Harrison Gray Otis. [5] Otis was able to use his business skills and acquire large portions of land and sell it to the hoards of people coming to Los Angeles. [5]
With the influx of people wanting to call Los Angeles their home housing was an issue. With the turn of the century, also came “do-it-yourself” affordable bungalow kits. These kits were made available to erect in vacant lots and affordable to all to enjoy. This innovation makes single-family housing 94% of Los Angeles market by the 1930s. In 1914 the United States Commission on Industrial Relations visited Los Angeles and praised the city for their working class home ownership and that the labor fore was very satisfied. [6]
In the 1920’s oil and Hollywood were new discoveries in Los Angeles making many wealthy. The small bungalows were no longer suitable for the upper class and Spanish Colonia Revival home were now in demand. [7]
In the 1930’s, Intellectual exiles from Europe begun to flood Los Angeles by the masses only to be disappointed by the lacking of urban culture in a city now home to two million residents. [8]
As time pushed on more and more people called Los Angeles their home. As early as the 1960’s Los Angeles was nearing its boundaries. [9] All of the things that were promised to motivate people to move in like affordable housing and jobs were beginning to dry up. The city needed to act quickly to reestablish the desire to move to Los Angeles. The Planning Director at the time, Calvin Hamilton and his team developed the city’s general plan, “Concept Los Angeles”. “Concept Los Angeles” was released in 1974 with the goal to build more high density housing in specific areas that were all connected together and leave single family housing alone. [9] Although “Concept Los Angeles” looked good on paper, it did not materialized the way planners hoped it would. This led to the adoption of the “The General Plan Framework Element” in 2001 which is Los Angeles current general plan. More about the current general plan can be viewed in Land use.
Before Los Angeles was established as a city it was a pueblo on the order of Governor Felipe de Neve in 1781. [1] Orders were made to bring 24 families from Mexico to begin establishing the new city. [1] Each of these settlers were provided with land, allowance, tools, and livestock to build the city. [2] De Neve drew up plans calling for the settlement to be thirty-six square miles with a central plaza. The plaza was to be surrounded by lots of land for each of the settlers to maintain. A distance from the plaza, De Neve wanted to have fields for the settlers to support the community with agriculture needs. [3] As time continued so did the awareness of what Los Angeles had to offer.
As far back as the early 1880’s Southern California was known nationally for its abundant sunshine. This attraction was more than enough to bring so called “health seekers” westward. [4] In the 1880 Census, Los Angeles was the 187th largest city in the US. Over the next 35 years Los Angeles grew to be the largest city in the west. One Gentleman who took advantage of this westward movement was a Harrison Gray Otis. [5] Otis was able to use his business skills and acquire large portions of land and sell it to the hoards of people coming to Los Angeles. [5]
With the influx of people wanting to call Los Angeles their home housing was an issue. With the turn of the century, also came “do-it-yourself” affordable bungalow kits. These kits were made available to erect in vacant lots and affordable to all to enjoy. This innovation makes single-family housing 94% of Los Angeles market by the 1930s. In 1914 the United States Commission on Industrial Relations visited Los Angeles and praised the city for their working class home ownership and that the labor fore was very satisfied. [6]
In the 1920’s oil and Hollywood were new discoveries in Los Angeles making many wealthy. The small bungalows were no longer suitable for the upper class and Spanish Colonia Revival home were now in demand. [7]
In the 1930’s, Intellectual exiles from Europe begun to flood Los Angeles by the masses only to be disappointed by the lacking of urban culture in a city now home to two million residents. [8]
As time pushed on more and more people called Los Angeles their home. As early as the 1960’s Los Angeles was nearing its boundaries. [9] All of the things that were promised to motivate people to move in like affordable housing and jobs were beginning to dry up. The city needed to act quickly to reestablish the desire to move to Los Angeles. The Planning Director at the time, Calvin Hamilton and his team developed the city’s general plan, “Concept Los Angeles”. “Concept Los Angeles” was released in 1974 with the goal to build more high density housing in specific areas that were all connected together and leave single family housing alone. [9] Although “Concept Los Angeles” looked good on paper, it did not materialized the way planners hoped it would. This led to the adoption of the “The General Plan Framework Element” in 2001 which is Los Angeles current general plan. More about the current general plan can be viewed in Land use.
Basic Timeline
- 1542: Claimed for the Spanish Empire by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo.
- 1769: Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí reach the site.
- 1771: Franciscan friar Junípero Serra builds first mission in the area: Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, CA).
- 1781: "Los Pobladores" found the historic Pueblo - "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula" - on what is now Olvera St. in downtown LA.
- 1818: Avila Adobe, currently the city of Los Angeles’ longest standing home, is constructed on what is now known as Olvera St. [12]
- 1847: United States takes control of the region after winning Mexican-American war.
- 1850: California officially becomes the 30th state in the United States and Los Angeles is incorporated as a municipality. [13]
- 1876: Southern Pacific Railroad line reaches Los Angeles.
- 1880: Census, Los Angeles was the 187th largest city in the US
- 1887: Harvey Henderson Wilcox registers his 160 acres of land in Cahuenga Valley with Los Angeles. He names it ‘Hollywood’ and plans to create a town for devout Christians to get away from the evil temptations of the world. [14]
- 1892: Oil discovered in the region.
- 1910: Los Angeles is largest city in the west
- 1911: Isaac Newton Van Nuys titles his 60 acres of property, “The New Town of Van Nuys” and opens up lot sales to the public. This was the first planned community in San Fernando Valley and houses are developed very quickly by buyers eager to take advantage of the land. [15]
- 1913: Los Angeles Aquaduct project completed (under supervision of William Mulholland).
- 1932: LA hosts its first Summer Olympics.
- 1938: The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is created. [15]
- 1941: The City Housing Authority (CHA), now known as the HACLA, develops 26 public housing developments - 5 permanent, 21 temporary.
- 1974: The general plan “Concept Los Angeles” is adopted
- 2001: “The General Plan Framework Element” is adopted
- 2008: A housing market crash effects residents and developers alike. Fewer housing development projects are needed for single-family homes - instead the demand becomes for more multifamily resident dwellings.
References
[1] Willard, Charles Dwight. The Herald's History of Los Angeles City. Los Angeles: Kingsley-Barnes & Neuner, 1901. Roger. ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 68.Web. 30 July 2013.
[2] Willard, Charles Dwight. The Herald's History of Los Angeles City. Los Angeles: Kingsley-Barnes & Neuner, 1901. Roger. ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 69.Web. 30 July 2013.
[3] Willard, Charles Dwight. The Herald's History of Los Angeles City. Los Angeles: Kingsley-Barnes & Neuner, 1901. Roger. ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 70.Web. 30 July 2013.
[4] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 24. Print.
[5] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 25. Print.
[6] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 28. Print.
[7] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 30. Print.
[8] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 34. Print.
[9] Peralta, Christian. "Back To The Future: The 1970 Los Angeles 'Centers' Concept Plan."Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network. Planetizen.com, 5 Apr. 2007. Web. 14 July 2013.
[10] http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5910392
[11] http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/who-moved-east-la.html
[12-15] http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/blog/historical-timeline-los-angeles
[16] Page 47 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[2] Willard, Charles Dwight. The Herald's History of Los Angeles City. Los Angeles: Kingsley-Barnes & Neuner, 1901. Roger. ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 69.Web. 30 July 2013.
[3] Willard, Charles Dwight. The Herald's History of Los Angeles City. Los Angeles: Kingsley-Barnes & Neuner, 1901. Roger. ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 70.Web. 30 July 2013.
[4] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 24. Print.
[5] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 25. Print.
[6] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 28. Print.
[7] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 30. Print.
[8] Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. London: Verso, 2006. 34. Print.
[9] Peralta, Christian. "Back To The Future: The 1970 Los Angeles 'Centers' Concept Plan."Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network. Planetizen.com, 5 Apr. 2007. Web. 14 July 2013.
[10] http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5910392
[11] http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/who-moved-east-la.html
[12-15] http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/blog/historical-timeline-los-angeles
[16] Page 47 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.