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LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY Preservation Report Card | 2014

THE COUNTYWIDE REPORT CARD:
FOSTERING PRESERVATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

The Los Angeles area has a rich architectural heritage that is surprisingly
vulnerable, with important historic places facing ongoing threats of dem-
olition and insensitive alteration. In Southern California, the most effec-
tive protections against these threats often lie in the hands of local
government, which can create and enforce substantive laws and incen-
tives to foster historic preservation.

Los Angeles County spans more than 4,000 square
miles and contains eighty-nine local governments:
eighty-eight cities, plus the County government
with jurisdiction over the unincorporated areas of
the County. Each of these jurisdictions operates in-
dependently and has its own protections—or lack
thereof—for preserving its historic resources.

The nonprofit Los Angeles Conservancy works
through advocacy and education to recognize,
preserve, and revitalize historic resources
throughout L.A. County. As part of this effort, it is
important to understand how preservation works
in each of the county’s different jurisdictions, help
governments create or improve preservation programs, and recognize
those with strong protections in place.

In 2003, the Conservancy launched a broad initiative to assess the state of
local preservation policy. The Conservancy’s Countywide Preservation
Report Card “grades” each of the county’s eighty-nine jurisdictions on the
elements they have in place at the local level, such as ordinances and in-
centive programs, to help preserve historic places.

The Report Card has been very well received, spurring some communities
to take long overdue action to protect their historic resources and offering
models from other cities. The ultimate goal of the Report Card is to help im-
prove preservation at the local level, and the Conservancy serves as a resource
for any community seeking to create or enhance a preservation program.
Top: The County of Los Angeles is working on a historic
preservation ordinance to protect gems such as the 1927 We issued the first edition of the Report Card in 2003 and the second in
Self Help Graphics & Art Building in unincorporated East L.A.
Photo by Edgar Garcia. 2008, both of which provided snapshots of preservation in L.A. County at
a specific point in time. The new 2014 edition reflects some exciting
Bottom: The City of West Hollywood has a number of changes and a more proactive approach to helping communities succeed
designated landmarks, including the 1927 former home and
studio of architect Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright). in their preservation efforts.
Photo by a75 on Flickr.

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