Missing Middle LA Initiative
Housing


Partners: City of Los Angeles City Planning Department, AECOM, Lee Andrews Group, Pacoima Beautiful, Central City Neighborhood Partners, East LA Community Corporation, West Angeles Community Development Corporation, Mar Vista Voice

Funder: Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

2026 - Ongoing

Los Angeles , CA

Explorations of potential new Design Standards

Office Of: Office is partnering with AECOM and Lee Andrews Group to provide technical assistance and community engagement for the City of Los Angeles Planning Department’s new Missing Middle LA initiative.

The Missing Middle LA program is focused on expanding neighborhood-scale housing options through targeted Zoning Code amendments that aim to implement and go beyond recent state housing laws and introduce new opportunities for homeownership. The overall strategy is to enact changes to LA zoning code in line with new state laws (ADU laws, SB 9, and the Starter Home Revitalization Act) that reduce barriers to housing development and ensure the units are in line with the housing, design, and livability goals of communities.


Our team of technical consultants has been providing recommendations for policy changes, objective design standards, and process improvements that can support practitioners and create units that reflect the unique architectural history of infill housing in L.A. We spoke with experts in other cities, researched best practices for housing policies at similar scales, and identified flexible standards that enable development without compromising style. 


We also are bringing technical experts and community members together to weigh in and shape these standards and approaches. We convened two technical working groups with practitioners, designers, and architects. We are currently hosting five community meetings in neighborhoods across L.A. to hear about housing concerns, barriers, patterns, opportunities, and future hopes. 

Explorations of potential new Design Standards



                   


Photos courtesy of Lee Andrews Group.


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