The California Land Opportunities Tracking System (CA LOTS)

UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, School of Public Affairs

Primary contact

Neal Richman, Ph.D.
Director
UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)
(310) 825-0577
nrichman@ucla.edu

Project URL

lots.ucla.edu

Additional project researchers

Charanjeet Singh, CNK
Norman Wong, CNK

Project description

In Southern California we increasingly understand how sprawl has jeopardized our quality of life: hours stuck in traffic, vehicular air pollution, lack of affordable housing and neighborhood parks, etc.  While there are no simple solutions, promising responses will require significant changes to our built environment.

The question, therefore, is: How do we change the shape of Southern California when our region is already “built out”?  The California Land Opportunities Tracking System is a free online mapping platform that enables-- community members, builders, planners, elected officials and others--to identify under-utilized properties that can be redeveloped to address unmet needs. Because frequently development decisions occur through political conflicts, this web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) is designed to create an electronic space for sharing information and building local partnership.   The goal is to use technology as a vehicle that can help us “grow together”, increasing appropriate density while strengthening our social ties.

With support from the UCLA School of Public Affairs, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Project video