LA Walkability Checklist

The purpose of the Walkability Checklist for Entitlement Review is to guide City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning staff as well as developers, architects, engineers, and all community members in creating enhanced pedestrian movement, access, comfort, and safety– contributing to the walkability of the City.

This Walkability Checklist encourages pursuit of high quality City form, and have been incorporated into the Citywide Design Guidelines. It informs stakeholders about the tools and techniques that improve curb appeal, beauty, and usability through a location-specific approach. Placemaking - the act of designing buildings to make them more attractive to and compatible with the people who use them, is the primary design principle in creating walkable neighborhoods.

The Walkability Checklist provides a list of recommended strategies that institutional projects (i.e. Hospital, Schools, Civic and Cultural uses) should employ to improve the pedestrian environment in the public right-of-way and on private property. Each of the implementation strategies on the Checklist should be considered in a proposed project, although not all will be appropriate in every proposed project. Each project will require a unique approach. While the checklist is neither a requirement nor part of the zoning code, it provides a guide for consistency relating with the policies contained in the General Plan Framework. Incorporating these guidelines into a project’s design will encourage pedestrian activity, more appropriate forms, and placemaking. A project that is walkable is good for business and the environment.

The Checklist is organized by main topics (i.e., Building Orientation). Each topic includes a statement of objectives and goals followed by a list of implementation strategies to be considered for incorporation into a proposed project. The topics begin with public sidewalks, crosswalks and on-street parking; then move to building orientation, on-site parking, and landscaping and finally focus on detailed building features such as lighting and signage. The Appendix contains relevant policies from the General Plan Framework.