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Citywide Objective Design Standards 

April 29, 2021: The City of Santa Monica was awarded a grant from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) through the SCAG Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) program – Housing & Sustainable Development award, which provides direct technical assistance to SCAG member jurisdiction on planning and policy projects. The project seeks to help support cities with a greater understanding of the role of objective design standards in increasing housing production in Los Angeles County and throughout California. The project scope evaluates existing local policies and regulations, provides permit application assistance, an online cost estimator tool, and the creation of conceptual objective design standards that can be utilize for housing projects.  

ODS Roundtable Discussion

Monday, November 27, 2023

The City of Santa Monica hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on the City’s Objective Design Standards project, funded by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).

Following the recent virtual workshop on Objective Design Standards held in October 2023, this meeting included a more focused open discussion on draft design standards that would apply to housing projects. Those invited included architects, designers, and developers of both market-rate and 100% affordable housing projects.   

Design standards for discussion included:

  • Ground Floor Elements: How Residential Units Engage with the Street
  • Facades: Transparency, Materials, Windows & Details
  • Open Space: Landscaping & Designing Common Area/Social Spaces
  • Parking: Entrances & Screening of Above Grade Parking Levels
Download a copy of the draft standards here!

PowerPoint Presentation  Workshop Transcript

Workshop #2:Obective Design Standards

Thursday, October 26, 2023

The City of Santa Monica hosted its second virtual public workshop on the City’s Objective Design Standards project, funded by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).

As a follow-up to the initial introduction workshop held on August 22, 2022, this second workshop provided a project update and presented conceptual Objective Design Standards (ODS) that could apply to housing projects.  The 6th Cycle Housing Element includes a program that requires the City to revise the Bergamot Area Plan for design standards to support housing production.

This virtual workshop informed community members and stakeholders about conceptual Objective Design Standards, including: 

  • Purpose of Objective Design Standards
  • State housing laws that require objective design standards
  • 6th Cycle Housing Element programs that commit the City to ado pt objective design standards in the Bergamot Area Plan
  • Conceptual Objective Design Standards
  • Project timelines
  • Opportunity for discussion and feedback on the conceptual objective design standards.     


Draft SB35 ODS for Workshop 2 Draft Concepts ODS for Workshop 2 PowerPoint Presentation Workshop Recording

Workshop #1: Objective Design Standards

August 22, 2022

The City held its first workshop on the Objective Design Standards Project. For a copy of the presentation, click the button below.

ODS Workshop #1 Presentation