Shana Bonstin of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning presents the city's proposed design guidelines to local residents. (Tom Dotan)

"The developers are like a dog that raises its leg and pees on the city," Noyes said on Tuesday at a community meeting led by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. "Some of the office buildings I’ve seen on Santa Monica Boulevard look more like penitentiaries."

Noyes’ concern is one that many residents share about the rapidly growing city — who is looking out for how the city looks?

The Department of City Planning decided to address this question with the proposal of new Citywide Design Guidelines, which they presented in draft form to community members at a series of workshops like the one held Tuesday in West Los Angeles

These guidelines, which outline design principles and expectations for new buildings, apply to projects in industrial, commercial and residential areas.  They work as an addendum to the city’s General Plan and provides more concrete examples of design within the framework.

More than just technical codes and specifications, the Citywide Design is about setting a vision for the future and correcting design problems of the past. It emphasizes neighborhood context, continuity with other buildings and avoiding the scourge of blank facades of concrete slabs — areas that are so often the biggest criticism of Los Angeles design.

“Every so often you pass a building [in Los Angeles] and think, ‘really?’” said Michelle Sorkin, a City Planner and one of the architects of the new guidelines. “Up until now I feel like design was mostly about what we could get away with.”

The guidelines were created to set standards that new building should achieve to fit into a community’s look. Constructions should emphasize open space and greenery over towering walls and barred windows. Pedestrian walkways are recommended to have adequate space and unobtrusive plants that are regional and drought tolerant. Historic properties have their own set of standards that encourage developers to maintain the original look and building materials.

Because the guidelines are created through the City Planning Commission, a group appointed by the mayor, they do not need approval through city ordinances and hope to have the guidelines ratified during the year. This process gives the commission the ability to make alterations and revisions internally through resolution, and allows for community input.

Sharon Commins, a vice chair of the Community Counsel in Mar Vista, voiced her concern that the lack of provisions about children may influence a new version of the guidelines.

“Seattle also has guidelines and they plan much more for children, ” Commins said. “We can’t only be a city of commuters, we must also be a city for families.”

Reach staff reporter Tom Dotan here.