LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles’ new mayor will take the helm of a city in crisis next week, with homelessness, affordability, traffic and climate change just a few of the issue that have reached an inflection point.

What You Need To Know

  • The “Livable Communities Initiative” calls for multiple city departments to work together to make some commercial corridors pedestrian friendly

  • The City Council advanced the plan Wednesday

  • Under the initiative, the city would allow existing property owners to build up on certain streets, adding apartments without adding parking

  • Organizers say the plan would help the city’s affordable housing crisis by reducing the overall cost to build

The LA City Council advanced a plan Wednesday that aims to tackle all those issues by changing the game when it comes to development.

The “Livable Communities Initiative” calls for multiple city departments to work together for the first time in history to create a more bike-friendly, affordable city by changing the zoning code on key commercial corridors.

“We’re still building as if we are not in a housing crisis,” said Ed Mendoza, the initiative’s policy director.

He said Westwood Boulevard is a perfect example: it connects a Metro stop to UCLA but does not have any bike or bus lanes to assist car-free commuters.

“You can’t get from that train station to the Hammer Museum or Westwood Village — I mean, unless you want to risk your life,” Mendoza said.

Under the initiative, the city would allow existing property owners to build up, adding a few stories of apartments without parking while transforming the street with a bike or bus lane.  

“It’s complimentary,” he said. “When you build good infrastructure you can build good, affordable housing and everyone wins.”

So far, the initiative has sailed through LA City Council committees.