Article 3 — FRONTAGE›Part 3B — FRONTAGE DISTRICTS
Los Angeles Zoning Code — LAMC Chapter 1A Div. 3B.9 Character Frontage Districts
Los Angeles Zoning Code — LAMC Chapter 1A · 2026-08 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Los Angeles
Cite as: Los Angeles Zoning Code — LAMC Chapter 1A § 3B.9 · Text as of 2026-10-04
Character Frontages provide standards for facade articulation, entry features, window design, siding materials, and roof form, in order to reinforce the prevailing architectural characteristics of the city’s historically and culturally significant neighborhoods and districts.
SEC. 3B.9.1. HISTORIC CORE (CHC1)¶
A. Intent
B. Lot
The Historic Core Character Frontage ("Historic Core") ensures new development contributes to and reinforces the established architectural character of an urban historic core established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, while supporting creative design and contemporary construction practices. Key architectural characteristics of the Historic Core include grand entrances adorned with pillars and archways, highly decorative facades that clearly articulate the base, middle and top layers of a building, deeply recessed windows, and roofs with prominent cornices. Buildings in the Historic Core adhere to a well-defined street wall with high ground story activation.
[Figure]
| Primary | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.BUILD-TO | Div. 3D.1. | |
| Applicable stories(min) | 12 | 12 |
| A Build-to depth(max) | 5' | 10' |
| B Build-to width(min) | 90% | 70% |
| Pedestrian amenity allowance(max) |
15% | 10% |
| 2.PARKING | Div. 3D.2. | |
| C Parking setback(min) | 20' | 5' |
| 3.LANDSCAPING | Div. 3D.3. | |
| Frontageplantingarea(min) | 0% | 0% |
| Frontage yard fence & wall type allowed: |
A2 | A2 |
| 3-33 |
Sec. 3B.9.1. (Historic Core (CHC1)) Last amended by Ord. 188,418 (Resolution), Eff. 06/18/2025
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[ FORM - FRONTAGE - STANDARDS ] [ USE - DENSITY ] Div. 3B.9. (Character Frontage Districts)
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A
SEC. 3B.9.2. DAYLIGHT FACTORY (CDF1)¶
A. Intent
The Daylight Factory Character Frontage ensures new development reinforces the prevailing architectural characteristics of industrial districts established in the early 20th century, while supporting creative design and contemporary construction practices. Warehouse and factory buildings in these industrial districts are characterized by large, symmetrical windows that extend nearly a full story in height, high ceilings on each story, and brick and masonry facade materials. Facades are articulated to establish uniformity through horizontal repetition.
B. Lot
[Figure]
| Primary | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.BUILD-TO | Div. 3D.1. | |
| Applicable stories(min) | 3 | 3 |
| A Build-to depth(max) | 5' | 10' |
| B Build-to width(min) | 90% | 70% |
| Pedestrian amenity allowance(max) |
30% | 30% |
| 2.PARKING | Div. 3D.2. | |
| C Parking setback(min) | 20' | 5' |
| 3.LANDSCAPING | Div. 3D.3. | |
| Frontageplantingarea(min) | 30% | 30% |
| Frontage yard fence & wall type allowed: |
A2 | A2 |
| 3-37 |
Sec. 3B.9.2. (Daylight Factory (CDF1)) Last amended by Ord. 188,418 (Resolution), Eff. 06/18/2025
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[ FORM - FRONTAGE - STANDARDS ] [ USE - DENSITY ] Div. 3B.9. (Character Frontage Districts)
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A
SEC. 3B.9.3. DAYLIGHT FACTORY / RIVER (CDR1)¶
A. Intent
B. Lot
The Daylight Factory / River Character Frontage provides standards intended to support the activation of the los Angeles River as a public amenity while reinforcing the prevailing architectural characteristics of industrial districts established in the early 20th century along the River, and supporting creative design and contemporary construction practices. Warehouse and factory buildings in these riverside industrial districts are characterized by large, symmetrical windows that extend nearly a full story in height, high ceilings on each story, and brick and masonry facade materials. Facades are articulated to establish uniformity through horizontal repetition.
[Figure]
| Primary | Side | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.BUILD-TO | Div. 3D.1. | ||
| Applicable stories(min) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| A Build-to depth(max) | 5' | 10' | 20' |
| B Build-to width(min) | 90% | 70% | 70% |
| Pedestrian amenity allowance(max) |
30% | 30% | 40% |
| 2.PARKING | Div. 3D.2. | ||
| C Parking setback(min) | 20' | 5' | 20' |
| 3.LANDSCAPING | Div. 3D.3. | ||
| Frontage planting area (min) |
5% | 5% | 75% |
| Frontage yard fence & wall type allowed: |
A2 | A2 | A3 |
| 3-41 |
Sec. 3B.9.3. (Daylight Factory / River (CDR1)) Last amended by Ord. 188,418 (Resolution), Eff. 06/18/2025
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[ FORM - FRONTAGE - STANDARDS ] [ USE - DENSITY ] Div. 3B.9. (Character Frontage Districts)
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A
SEC. 3B.9.4. CHARACTER COMMERCIAL 1 (CC1)¶
A. Intent
The Character Commercial 1 Frontage provides standards intended to reinforce the prevailing architectural characteristics of streetcar oriented commercial districts established during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Such districts are characterized by one and two story brick buildings containing rows of small storefronts that were originally built to serve some of the city’s earliest neighborhoods. Key features include the decorative application of brick, shopfront and roofline cornices, recessed entrances, and large shopfront windows. Buildings that retain the qualities of early commercial districts adhere to a well-defined street wall with high ground floor activation. By providing a set of targeted design standards that regulate these key features the Character Commercial 1 Frontage ensures that new development contributes to the established architectural character of the city’s earliest commercial districts.
B. Lot
| Street C B |
A Primary Side |
|---|---|
| 1.BUILD-TO | Div. 3D.1. |
| Applicable stories(min) | 2 2 |
| A Build-to depth(max) | 5' 10' |
| B Build-to width(min) | 90% 70% |
| Pedestrian amenity allowance(max) |
15% 10% |
| 2.PARKING | Div. 3D.2. |
| C Parking setback(min) | 20' 5' |
| 3.LANDSCAPING | Div. 3D.3. |
| Frontage planting area (min) |
0% 0% |
| Frontage yard fence & wall type allowed: |
A1 A1 |
| 3-45 |
Sec. 3B.9.4. (Character Commercial 1 (CC1)) Established by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026
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[ FORM - FRONTAGE - STANDARDS ] [ USE - DENSITY ] Div. 3B.9. (Character Frontage Districts)
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A
SEC. 3B.9.5. CHARACTER RESIDENTIAL 1 (CR1)¶
A. Intent
The Character Residential 1 Frontage provides standards intended to reinforce the prevailing architectural characteristics of the city’s residential neighborhoods established throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Such neighborhoods are characterized by an eclectic mix of residential architecture, including latevictorian, Queen Anne, and Craftsman architectural styles. Together these styles share some unifying characteristics, such as building forms articulated by a prominent pitched roof or series of pitched roofs, entries featuring a covered front porch, and textured exterior wall surfaces of lap or shingle siding. Other common neighborhood characteristics include homes setback behind a front yard and parking areas hidden from view behind the main building. By providing a set of targeted design standards that regulate these key features the Character Residential 1 Frontage ensures that new development contributes to the established architectural character of the City’s earliest residential neighborhoods.
B. Lot
| C B |
|---|
| Street A |
| Primary Side |
| 1.BUILD-TO Div. 3D.1. |
| Applicable stories(min) 3 3 |
| A Build-to depth(max) 10' 15' |
| B Build-to width(min) 50% 40% |
| Pedestrian amenity allowance(max) None None |
| 2.PARKING Div. 3D.2. |
| C Parking setback(min) 20' 5' |
| 3.LANDSCAPING Div. 3D.3. |
| Frontage planting area (min) 30% 30% |
| Frontage yard fence & wall type allowed: A2 A2 |
| 3-49 |
Sec. 3B.9.5. (Character Residential 1 (CR1)) Established by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026
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[ FORM - FRONTAGE - STANDARDS ] [ USE - DENSITY ] Contents
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A
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