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Landscape and Site Design Ordinance / Landscape Ordinance No. 170978 Rescission / Los Angeles Municipal Code / Amendment

Council File 24-1399

Approved — the City Council unanimously adopted this overhaul of LA's landscape standards on August 26, 2026, and a final version incorporating street tree amendments is ready for formal enactment.

Introduced
2024-11-05
Last changed
2026-09-15
Status
open
Expires
2028-08-26
Initiated by
Los Angeles City Planning Commission
References
Related Council Files: 15-0103-S3; 15-0499-S2; 21-1230-S2; 22-1476; 09-0969-S4Case: CPC-2022-4856-CAEnvironmental: ENV-2022-4857-NDCity Administrative Officer Report: 0160-01586-0000City Attorney Report: R26-0387; R26-0393; R26-0528

Brief

The City Planning Commission proposed a comprehensive update to Los Angeles's landscape standards, rescinding Ordinance No. 170978 from 1999 and establishing new Landscape and Site Design requirements. Council adopted the measure as amended by Councilmembers Lee and Blumenfield on August 26, 2026, by a 15-0 vote. The ordinance went through Planning and Land Use Management Committee review in August 2026 after the City Attorney prepared draft language in December 2024. Council action became final on September 2, 2026.

Full summary

The City Planning Commission initiated this effort in November 2024 to modernize Los Angeles's landscape ordinance by adopting a new Landscape and Site Design Ordinance and rescinding Ordinance No. 170978, which had governed landscape standards since 1999. The new ordinance amends more than a dozen sections of the Municipal Code to establish updated landscape and site design standards through a point-based system, define and streamline provisions related to outdoor amenity areas, and update related zoning and building code sections across Articles 2, 3, and 6 of the code. The proposal moved through committee review beginning in late 2024. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee received it in November 2024 and in December 2024 directed the City Attorney to prepare draft ordinance language. In January 2025, the Planning Commission submitted an updated report, and Council adopted an amended version on January 7, 2025, incorporating changes from Councilmembers Hernandez and Nazarian. The City Administrative Officer filed a fiscal impact report on the proposed fee structure in February 2025. Multiple neighborhood councils, including Palms, West LA - Sawtelle, Elysian Valley Riverside, and North Westwood, submitted community impact statements throughout the process. The City Attorney transmitted a draft ordinance on June 29, 2026, followed by a revised version on July 1, 2026, that included the Landscape and Site Design Point System. After the Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the item on August 11, 2026, full Council adopted it on August 26, 2026, unanimously 15-0, as amended by Motion 12A from Councilmembers Lee and Blumenfield. That motion directed the City Attorney to revise one specific provision: Section 13.09.F.1.(c), which governs street tree planting requirements, was amended to increase tree planting frequency by reducing the required street frontage interval from 30 feet to 25 feet. The City Attorney responded on September 14, 2026, transmitting a revised draft ordinance incorporating that change. The report confirms no other substantive changes were made to the ordinance or the accompanying Point System. The City Planning Commission had recommended adoption as of October 2024, and a Negative Declaration under CEQA was issued finding no significant environmental impact. The revised ordinance now awaits final Council adoption to formally enact the updated landscape and site design rules citywide.

Activity (28)

  • 2026-09-15 City Attorney document(s) referred to .
  • 2026-09-14 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated September 14, 2026.
  • 2026-09-06 Community Impact Statement submitted by Palms Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-09-02 Council action final.
  • 2026-08-26 Council adopted item as amended by Amending Motion 12A (Lee - Blumenfield), subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-08-21 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 26, 2026.
  • 2026-08-11 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-08-07 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 11, 2026.
  • 2026-07-02 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2026-07-01 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated July 1, 2026.
  • 2026-06-30 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2026-06-29 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated June 29, 2026.
  • 2025-05-04 Community Impact Statement submitted by West LA - Sawtelle Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-03-17 Community Impact Statement submitted by Palms Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-03-14 Community Impact Statement submitted by Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-02-19 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2025-02-19 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:City Administrative Office report, dated February 19, 2025, relative to a report on the fiscal impact of the proposed Landscape and Site Design Ordinance Fee.
  • 2025-02-12 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-01-14 Council action final.
  • 2025-01-07 Department of City Planning document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2025-01-07 Council adopted item as amended by Motion 11A (Hernandez - Nazarian) and Motion 11B (Hernandez - Nazarian), subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-01-06 Document(s) submitted by Department of City Planning; Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:City Planning Commission report, dated January 6, 2025, relative to updates to the proposed Landscape and Site Design Ordinance and rescission of the Landscape Ordinance (Ordinance No. 170978).
  • 2025-01-06 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 7, 2025.
  • 2025-01-03 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 7, 2025.
  • 2024-12-03 Planning and Land Use Management Committee requested the City Attorney prepare draft ordinances.
  • 2024-11-27 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on December 3, 2024.
  • 2024-11-06 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2024-11-05 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated November 5, 2024, relative to the proposed Landscape and Site Design Ordinance and rescission of the Landscape Ordinance (Ordinance No. 170978).

Documents (40)

Council votes (2)

  • 2026-08-26 Vote — 15-0-0 · Regular
  • 2025-01-07 Adopted as Amended — 13-0-2 · Regular

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