Upcoming "Small Lots, Big Impacts" summer workshops offer primers on housing policy, finance, and upcoming RFQ

"Small Lots, Big Impacts", a first-of-its-kind initiative to turn LA’s vacant small lots into new starter homes, has announced a series of events to help interested developers and architects learn and share ideas ahead of the program’s upcoming Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

Three webinars (August 6, August 22, September 3) will offer primers around the RFQ process and priorities, finance and development strategies, and relevant housing policy, while meet-and-greet events on August 7 and August 21 offer developers and architects an opportunity to share ideas and network. Presenters include experts from the City of Los Angeles City Planning Department, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and developers with experience building and financing small-scale housing projects. Registration is required for each event, with details below.

Launched in March 2025, "Small Lots, Big Impacts" is a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, UCLA’s cityLAB, LA4LA, and BMO. The project's first phase was a competition this past spring, which drew more than 350 submissions from 36 countries. Winners were announced in May and honored at AIA-LA headquarters in June. The forthcoming RFQ, to be issued by the City of Los Angeles Housing Department, will ask teams of developers and architects to submit qualifications for development rights to one or more of the City's landholdings. The RFQ seeks teams that can deliver fast, innovative, attainable, and high-quality housing units.

Wednesday, August 6 webinar: About the RFQ

On August 6 (11:00 am PST), cityLAB hosts a webinar, "About the RFQ," featuring Abby King, Housing Policy Analyst at the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Emmanuel Proussaloglou, cityLAB Co-Director. They will discuss steps in the RFQ process, how applications will be evaluated, and development assistance that Small Lots organizers expect to provide to winning teams. [Register here.]

Thursday, August 7: Meet-and-Greet at AIA-LA

On August 7, cityLAB hosts a networking event at AIA-LA’s West Adams headquarters (5:30 pm PST; 4450 W Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016), in partnership with AIA-LA and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). cityLAB's Proussaloglou will join cityLAB Director Dana Cuff and Associate Director of Architecture Ryan Conroy to discuss takeaways from the Phase 1 competition. [Register here.]

Thursday, August 21: Meet-and-Greet at office42

On August 21, cityLAB and Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH) host a second networking event at office42 (5:30 pm PST, 2620 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065). [Register here.]

Friday, August 22 webinar: Building "Missing Middle" Housing

On August 22, cityLAB hosts a webinar, "Building 'Missing Middle' Housing" (11:00 am PST), addressing development and financing strategies, especially for small-scale housing projects (sometimes called “missing middle” housing). Proussaloglou will moderate this discussion among Tom DeSimone (Genesis LA), John Perfitt (RNLA), Alkarim Devani (mddl and RNDSQR), and Jonathan Tate (OJT). [Register here.]

Wednesday, September 3 webinar: LA Housing Policy Primer

Finally, on September 3, cityLAB hosts a final webinar, "LA Housing Policy Primer" (11:00 am PST), featuring experts from the City of Los Angeles City Planning Department (Nicholas Ayers, Senior City Planner; Kevin Fulton, City Planning Associate; and Wajiha Ibrahim, City Planner), who will discuss four recent policy changes that specifically support missing middle housing. [Register here.]

The "Small Lots, Big Impacts" initiative is the outcome of a collaboration between cityLAB-UCLA, LA4LA, and the City of Los Angeles, including the Office of Mayor Karen Bass, the Housing Department, and City Council. Questions may be addressed by the competition website or directed to smalllotsinfo@ucla.edu.