Los Angeles Historic Resource Survey Project

The project sought to:

• document the community, cultural, and economic benefits of a comprehensive, citywide historic resource survey
• develop a professional survey methodology through research of key survey methods and management issues (survey data will be used for multiple purposes including historic preservation, education, community and economic development)
• collaborate with the city and stakeholders in testing survey methods
• publish information regarding survey practice and incentives for historic preservation
• serve as an information resource regarding historic resource survey methods and management issues for city government and the private sector
• share information on best practices associated with citywide surveys with the conservation community and interested stakeholders

2002: The Conservation Institute begins collaborating with the City of Los Angeles and civic stakeholders to develop research on historic resource survey methods and on the use of a survey as part of the city's cultural heritage and community development efforts.

2006: The Office of Historic Resources (OHR) is created within the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to manage and develop the municipal historic preservation program. The OHR directs the survey, which is named SurveyLA. The Getty Foundation provides funding to underwrite a portion of survey costs and the Institute provides advisory support to establish the survey process.

2015: The City of Los Angeles launches HistoricPlacesLA: Los Angeles Historic Resources Inventory, an online information and management system to inventory, map, and describe historic places in Los Angeles. It is created through the Institute’s customization of the Arches open-source platform, jointly developed by the Institute and the World Monuments Fund.