General Plan 2035

General Plan Update Program

The Los Angeles County 2035 General Plan provides the policy framework for how and where the unincorporated County will grow through the year 2035 while recognizing and celebrating the County’s wide diversity of cultures, abundant natural resources, and status as an international economic center. Comprising approximately 2,650 square miles, unincorporated Los Angeles County is home to over one million people. The Los Angeles County 2035 General Plan accommodates new housing and jobs within the unincorporated area in anticipation of population growth in the County and the region.

Major Policies Highlights

The General Plan anticipates growth and will guide development in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County through the year 2035. Major policies include:

Expanding Transit Oriented Districts

Transit Oriented Districts (TODs) are areas where the General Plan Update encourages infill development, pedestrian-friendly and community-serving uses near transit stops. The goal is to encourage walking, bicycling, and transit use. The General Plan Update will expand the existing TODs from approximately a ¼ mile radius to ½ mile radius from the transit stations. In addition, new TODs will be established around transit stations in West Carson, Rancho Dominguez, Del Aire, East Los Angeles and East Pasadena-East San Gabriel. Click here to view the locations of the 11 TODs.

The General Plan Update also includes a TOD implementation program. For more information on this program, please click here.

Promoting Mixed Use

The General Plan Update encourages high densities and mixed use (e.g. commercial and residential) development along major commercial corridors near transit stations. Properties along these corridors will be designated “Mixed Use” (MU), with a maximum allowable density of 150 units per net acre and a maximum floor area ratio of 3.0. To view the locations of these MU-designated properties, click the individual communities below:

In addition, these properties will be zoned “Mixed Use” (MXD), which will allow for a greater mixture of pedestrian-oriented commercial and higher-density residential development. Click here to view the latest draft MXD zone.

Expanding Significant Ecological Areas

A Significant Ecological Area (SEA) designation is given to land that contains irreplaceable biological resources. Individual SEAs include undisturbed or lightly disturbed habitat supporting valuable and threatened species, linkages and corridors to promote species movement, and are sized to support sustainable populations of its component species. The objective of the SEA Program is to preserve the genetic and physical diversity of the County by designing biological resource areas capable of sustaining themselves into the future. However SEAs are not wilderness preserves. Much of the land in SEAs is privately held, used for public recreation or abutting developed areas. Thus the SEA Program is intended to ensure that privately held lands within the SEAs retain the right of reasonable use, while avoiding activities and development projects that are incompatible with the long term survival of the SEAs. To learn more about the SEA program, including background studies, maps, and the proposed SEA ordinance, please visit the SEA program homepage.

Creating Employment Protection Districts

The Employment Protection Districts (EPDs) are economically viable industrial and employment-rich lands to be preserved as major employment centers. These areas, which are identified on this map, are protected by policies to prevent the conversion of industrial land to non-industrial uses. Click here and here to view policies

To implement the General Plan Update’s industrial policy, manufacturing zones will be revised to preserve industrial lands. Click here to view the draft manufacturing zones.

Protecting Agricultural Resources

Agricultural Resource Areas (ARAs) are areas where the General Plan Update promotes the preservation of agricultural uses. The ARAs, which are identified on this map, consist of areas that have been historically farmed in the County, as well as farmland identified by the State Department of Conservation. These areas are protected by policies to prevent the conversion of farmland to incompatible uses. Click here and here to view policies.

The General Plan Update also includes an implementation program for a future Agricultural Resources Ordinance. For more information on this program, please click here.