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Keys to the City: South LA's Development Services Center

Published on: 9th June, 2025

On this episode, Los Angeles City Council staffer, Chavonne Taylor, speaks with Kinikia Gardner, a Senior Planner with the Los Angeles City Planning Department. With more than two decades of experience in urban planning, Kinikia has focused her career on making the planning process more accessible and equitable, especially for historically underserved communities.

She currently leads the South LA Development Services Center, one of only a few centers across the city where residents, business owners, and developers can get in-person help with permits, zoning, land use, and development questions. These centers are part of the Planning Department’s effort to demystify a process that often feels out of reach for everyday Angelenos.

Kinikia is also a member of Black Planners of Los Angeles, a Qualified Minority Employee Organization within the City that helped push for the creation of the South LA center.

Resources

planning.lacity.gov

planning.lacity.gov/project-review/south-los-angeles-development-services-center

appointments.lacity.org/apptsys/Public/Account

South LA DSC

Address: 8475 S. Vermont Avenue, 1st Floor

Email: planning.southla@lacity.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/planning4la

Community Announcements

Event Name: CicLAvia

Neighborhoods Featured: Historic South Central, Florence-Firestone, Watts

Date: Sunday, June 22nd

Time: 9 AM to 4 PM

Location: Central Avenue & 103rd Street

Website: www.ciclavia.org/ciclavia_historic_south_central_meets_watts25

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Want to learn more about Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and LA's Council District 8? Follow @mhdcd8 on Instagram and sign up for the newsletter at mhdcd8.org!

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About the Podcast

MHD Off the Record
Dive into the heart of South Los Angeles with Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson on MHD Off The Record—where culture drives leadership and community voices lead the way!
MHD Off the Record takes you inside Los Angeles City Hall with Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Each episode explores the culture, politics, and policies shaping life in Los Angeles from housing and homelessness to city planning, public safety, and immigrant rights.

Focused on uniting neighborhoods across the city, the MHD Off the Record podcast blends political insight with community-driven solutions. Listeners hear conversations with civic leaders, activists, and community stakeholders that reveal how multicultural organizing, music, and personal stories influence the direction of Los Angeles.

If you’re curious about how Los Angeles City Council makes decisions, want to learn about city resources, or care about the future of South LA and beyond, this podcast gives you the context and voices behind the policies that impact Angelenos every day.

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Marqueece Harris-Dawson