In the City of Los Angeles, the Director of Planning is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. As the chief executive, the Director oversees the policy agenda and development services for Los Angeles City Planning.
When I first started in February 2016, I spoke about demystifying the planning process and making City Planning more readily accessible to all Angelenos. Since then, we’ve made some great improvements—including launching a new website.
On behalf of the Executive Team, we encourage you to explore the content on our site to learn about the incredible initiatives underway. As a department, we are advancing a long-term vision for the City—one which will inform and properly shape future land use considerations.
Sincerely,
Vincent P. Bertoni, AICP
Director of Planning
In addition to the Director, the Executive Team is comprised of an Executive Officer and four Deputy Directors who are responsible for overseeing a Bureau within City Planning. The Executive Officer and four Deputy Directors report directly to the Director.
The Executive Officer manages the affairs of City Planning across its Bureaus, providing direct support on a number of strategic initiatives. The members of the Executive Team work in unison to advance the shared goals and objectives of City Planning and its staff.
Kevin J. Keller, AICP
Executive Officer
Arthi Varma
Deputy Director of
Citywide Policy Planning
Shana Bonstin
Deputy Director of
Community Planning
Lisa Webber, AICP
Deputy Director of
Project Planning
The Citywide Policy Planning Bureau manages long-range planning efforts, setting policy goals and objectives that inform work at the neighborhood level.
The Community Plan Bureau oversees the policy updates to the City’s Community Plans, which inform local zoning decisions and the types of uses that are permitted on each parcel of land.
The Project Planning Bureau supervises most of City Planning's development functions, administering environmental review and the processing of project applications.
The Operations & Engagement Bureau provides the technical, administrative, and financial services that are critical to City Planning's overall success as a department.
