Goals and Objectives
The Small Lots, Big Impacts initiative aims to further the following strategic goals:
Get It Built
Build pilot projects that show a way forward on developing housing on these types of lots.
Catalyze Development
Generate replicable ideas that multiply and drive more projects.
Embrace Innovation
Demonstrate new financing models, construction methods, and development strategies that expedite production.
Build Capacity
Uplift a new generation of local, diverse builders.
Prioritize Ownership
Achieve permanent, attainable ownership models.
Deliver for the City
Deliver high-quality, public-facing, long-term impacts that show what the City of Los Angeles can do.
The Small Lots, Big Impacts initiative will prioritize the following design goals:
Staying Power
Alternative home ownership and stable tenancy models, Mixed-income housing that explores cross-subsidy and equity building strategies.
Adaptability
Flexible living arrangements that can adjust to changing needs.
Livability
Abundant daylight and ventilation, connections to outdoor spaces, landscaping, significant and well-considered shared spaces.
Architectural Quality
Active facades, thoughtful massing strategies, sensitive relationship to building context.
Efficiency & Performance
New construction systems and material technologies to streamline construction, reduce energy usage, and lower embodied carbon.
Each competition submission will address one of the prototypical sites: a Leftover Lot, a Gentle Density Lot, a Shared Futures Lot, or a Stacked Neighborhood Lot. The types of site are described below (See Section 2D), alongside a description of their role in Los Angeles’ residential history, an overview of the challenges and opportunities they present for homeownership, development guidelines, and possible avenues for resilience-thinking.
Sites
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Step 1:
City of LA bundles a package of vacant Small Lot sites in a Developer Services RFQ.
2
Step 1:
City of LA bundles a package of vacant Small Lot sites in a Developer Services RFQ.
3
Step 1:
City of LA bundles a package of vacant Small Lot sites in a Developer Services RFQ.
4
City of LA & cityLAB give winning architects the chance to win design contracts with the developer.
5
Winning architects adapt successful strategies to readily buildable sites and work toward construction. Development rights to infeasible sites are returned to City of LA.
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Step 1: City of LA bundles a package of vacant Small Lot sites in a Developer Services RFQ.
Design Competition Timeline
The first step for consideration in the design competition is registration by Sunday, March 2nd. Register your team here to proceed to the next phase and to receive updates on the competition.
More information on the competition criteria, deliverables, and full descriptions of the site categories are available in the competition brief, available here.
If you have any additional questions, please contact [general small lots contact info].
February 17th, 2025
Registration for Design Competition Goes Live
February 17th– March 2nd
Two Weeks of Q & A and Registration Period
Common questions and answers will be posted to XXX on February 24th and on March 3rd
March 2rd
Registration Closes by 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time
March 3rd
Design Competition Opens
April 6th
Submissions due by 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time
Submissions are to be digital only; no hard copies will be accepted. All submissions must be submitted electronically by email to smalllots@lacity.org.
April 7th–April 27th
Submission Review Period
April 28th
Winning Applicants Announced
May 2025
Design Competition Exhibition
Jury
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DANA CUFF
cityLAB Director, Jury Chair
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KEVIN KELLER
Deputy Mayor for Housing, City of Los Angeles
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MAURICE COX
Former Planning and Development Commissioner, Chicago
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MIMI ZEIGER
Architecture critic, author, educator
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TATIANA BILBAO
Estudio Tatiana Bilbao
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FLORIAN IDENBURG
SO-IL
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SAM ALISON-MAYNE
Tankhouse
