To some, Los Angeles represents the best of both worlds: the cosmopolitan culture of a world-class big city and the comfortable convenience of suburban life. But to many others, our unique landscape is simply seen as the outcome of urban sprawl. No matter your perspective, the reality is that city planning is done by five separate city agencies and departments. All have a hand in planning, zoning, and development regulations, making for a complicated system of overlapping jurisdictions.

For decades, developers in Los Angeles have run up against difficult and often conflicting regulations that make it so difficult to launch and complete projects, the developers are often reliant on a vast team of consultants and professionals simply to navigate the red tape.

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched the Development Reform initiative, a strategic plan dedicated to building a better Los Angeles – the best place to live, work and visit. Thanks to this initiative – and thanks to the city’s good-faith effort to engage with professionals, developers, city staff and other stakeholders – we are moving forward with common-sense reforms that will house five key departments under one roof and make the city a more accountable, transparent, efficient and responsive partner in smart development.

It is a well-known fact that the city of Los Angeles has devoted considerable time and resources over the years to improving its development review process, often with limited success. It would be tempting to write this off as yet another dead-on-arrival proposal to improve a system that is in dire need of reform. But as two private-sector development specialists who have watched and participated in the formation of this program, it is clear to us that this time the city has taken a critical step toward getting it right.

Unlike efforts in the past, this initiative does not produce yet another report full of recommendations that are extensively debated but never implemented. This time, the report does not ignore some of the realities and challenges that must be overcome to enact change. This time, we will see real, tangible, positive changes to the process in the coming months and years.

Different approach

There are three key reasons why the process is different and why we believe it will continue to lead to progressive and sustainable improvements in the city’s development process:

First, development experts played an integral role in creating the strategic plan. For nine months, the Development Reform Advisory Committee – a volunteer group of architects, engineers, private foundations, land-use attorneys and developers with decades of experience in Los Angeles – worked closely with city staff across various departments to identify high-impact areas for improvement, analyze past city development reports and audits, and review 142 best practices. They also solicited input from the broader business community through a series of public meetings that drew over 150 participants. Through the continuation of the committee, development experts will continue to inform and support future improvements to L.A.’s development processes and implementation of the plan.

Additionally, community stakeholders helped shape the strategic plan. We conducted more than 70 one-on-one interviews, close to a dozen community meetings, and various online surveys. This inclusive approach formulated a plan that will produce a more transparent and efficient development services process.

Second, department heads and city staff were key stakeholders in developing the strategic plan. The advisory committee met with every department head and staff at every rung of the management ladder, conducting a total of 90 interviews with city officials. Staff had a stake in the process and thus ownership of the solutions. We asked those responsible for carrying out the process what the challenges were and how they could be handled.

Finally, the strategic plan’s emphasis on technology makes it distinct from past efforts. We knew we couldn’t have effective development reform without improvements to communication across the numerous departments involved in development. As people who have spent countless hours following projects through the trajectory, we also knew we needed a more transparent and integrated way to track a project’s status. As a result, the plan includes input on specific technological improvements that will be implemented over several years. They include electronic document submission and processing, appointment scheduling services, citywide online project tracking and citywide performance monitoring. Together, they will help applicants get answers sooner, saving valuable time and money, and attracting more business to the city.

What else is different this time? We kept it simple. This plan does not focus on pie-in-the-sky promises but real, smart changes to the process that will yield tangible results. It is a plan that includes input from all departments that touch development services. It focuses on what should be done, why it should be done, who should do it and when it should happen. The mayor and his team, in partnership with the advisory committee and community, took action and created a new way of thinking and working that will provide measurable results for businesses to create and sustain jobs in our city. We are confident that in a short time, Angelenos will see these changes for themselves.

Renata Simril is managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle’s public institutions practice covering the Southwest region where she advises governments on their real estate portfolio and development projects. Arturo Sneider is a founding partner of Primestor Development Inc., a national real estate development, leasing and management company specializing in moderate and low-income communities in urban neighborhoods. Both serve as members of the mayor’s Development Reform Advisory Committee.