Los Angeles Business Council

Los Angeles Business Council
Name	Los Angeles Business Council
Formation	1973
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Leader title	President

Los Angeles Business Council The Los Angeles Business Council is a nonprofit civic organization based in downtown Los Angeles, California that convenes leaders from real estate development, finance, technology, transportation, and environmental planning to shape urban policy. Founded in the early 1970s amid debates over Downtown Los Angeles Civic Center renewal, the organization has engaged with municipal agencies such as the Los Angeles City Council, regional planning bodies like the Southern California Association of Governments, and civic institutions including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.

History

Founded in 1973, the organization emerged during debates surrounding redevelopment of the Bunker Hill, Los Angeles neighborhood, the expansion of Interstate 10, and the preservation efforts at the Bradbury Building. Early initiatives linked leaders from finance firms on Wilshire Boulevard and developers involved with projects near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Exposition Park. In the 1980s and 1990s the council engaged with leaders from institutions such as the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation and the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles while responding to crises highlighted by events at Dodger Stadium and infrastructure planning around Los Angeles International Airport. Through the 2000s the council worked alongside stakeholders from Metro (Los Angeles County), the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Port of Los Angeles as the city pursued transit-oriented development and the revitalization of the Los Angeles River corridor.

Mission and Activities

The council’s mission aligns private sector leadership with public sector planning by convening executives from firms headquartered on Figueroa Street, near South Grand Avenue, and across the San Fernando Valley. Activities include roundtables with leaders from AECOM, Skanska, CBRE Group, and representatives from academic institutions such as the University of Southern California and the California State University, Los Angeles. The organization partners with nonprofit partners like the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and policy centers at the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation to inform discussions about housing near the Arts District, Los Angeles and infrastructure investments affecting the Harbor Gateway corridor.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have addressed sustainable development, transit-oriented projects near Union Station (Los Angeles), and resiliency planning for seismic risk informed by work from the United States Geological Survey and the California Geological Survey. Initiatives include public forums featuring leaders from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, workshops with designers from firms linked to the Getty Center, and policy labs in coordination with civic groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and LAANE. The council has run signature efforts on housing production near the Mid-Wilshire district, workforce development in partnership with Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and climate adaptation projects intersecting with research from the California Air Resources Board.

Membership and Leadership

Membership historically comprises executives from major developers, institutional investors, and legal firms with offices on Wilshire Boulevard and in the Bunker Hill financial district. Members have included senior leaders from corporations such as Walt Disney Company, AECOM, CBRE Group, and Bank of America alongside nonprofit executives from the Annenberg Foundation and academia at University of California, Los Angeles. Leadership has featured chairs drawn from corporate boards, with advisory input from public officials including former members of the Los Angeles City Council and appointees to the California Transportation Commission.

Policy Influence and Advocacy

The organization functions as a convener and advocate on land use, transportation funding, and infrastructure policy, engaging with elected officials from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and state legislators in the California State Legislature. It has testified before bodies such as the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and has provided comment letters on environmental review documents under the California Environmental Quality Act. Policy priorities have intersected with campaigns for transit expansion supported by Metro (Los Angeles County), debates over zoning reforms similar to statewide measures debated in the California State Assembly, and port modernization projects coordinated with the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles authorities.

Awards and Events

The council produces annual events and awards ceremonies that recognize achievements in urban development, design, and public-private partnerships, often attracting speakers from institutions such as the Urban Land Institute, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the American Planning Association (APA), and universities including USC Price School of Public Policy. Signature events have been hosted at venues like the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Los Angeles Times headquarters, featuring honorees from sectors represented by members of the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and regional philanthropic leaders from the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles