Oral Histories

Interview of Milton Breivogel

Director of planning for the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission.
Subtitle:
Seven Decades of Planning and Development in the Los Angeles Region: Milton Breivogel
Series:
Seven Decades of Planning and Development in the Los Angeles Region
Topic:
Urban Planning and Land Use
Urban Planning
Politics and Government
Biographical Note:
Director of planning for the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission.
Interviewer:
Holden, Edward A.
Interviewee:
Breivogel, Milton
Persons Present:
Breivogel and Holden.
Place Conducted:
Breivogel's home in Los Angeles, California.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Edward A. Holden; M.S., Public Administration and CityPlanning, University of Southern California; Consultant in City and Regional Planning; Director of Planning, Southern California Association of Governments (Retired); Principal Regional Planner, Los Angeles County (Retired); Chairman, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Regional Planning History Group. Holden had known Milton Breivogel since 1947 and had worked under Breivogel's direction during the years Breivogel was director of planning for the Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission. The interviewer also used a resume provided by Breivogel and was assisted in his research by the City of Los Angeles Library and Planning Departments, respectively.
Processing of Interview:
Bryce Little, editor, edited the interview. He checked the verbatim transcript of the interview against the original tape recordings, edited for punctuation, paragraphing, and spelling, and verified proper names. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed.Breivogel died in May 1987, before editing of the transcript had been completed. The edited transcript was sent to Edward Holden, the interviewer, in February 1988 for review. Holden made some corrections and additions, verified proper names, and returned the transcript in March 1988. Due to Breivogel*s death, the spellings of several names could not be verified.Paul Winters, editorial assistant, prepared the table of contents, biographical summary, and interview history.Richard Iosty, editorial assistant, prepared the index.
Length:
7 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Series Statement:
Interviews in this series were initiated by the Los Angeles Regional Planning History Group to ensure the preservation of recollections of pioneer planners in both the public and private sectors in the Los Angeles region.
Abstract:
Family history; growing up in Two Rivers, Wisconsin; education in civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin; working for the Milwaukee Board of Public Land Commissioners; director of planning for Racine, Wisconsin; marriage; preparing a master plan for Madison, Wisconsin; the National Resources Planning Board; hired as principal planner for the city of Los Angeles in 1941; the Los Angeles Civic Center Plan; a city-improvements coordinating board; Park La Brea; revising the Los Angeles city zoning code; public reaction to the 1946 zoning ordinance; preparing state legislation enabling local governments to undertake community redevelopment projects; the Bunker Hill project; failure of the San Fernando Valley zoning plan; city council approval of subdivisions despite professional and community opposition; water and the growth of the San Fernando Valley; Baldwin Hills Village; offered position as director of planning for the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission in 1953; developing a master plan for the East San Gabriel Valley; development of Valencia; the Malibu master plan; developing a regional park plan for five Southern California counties; the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Study; Westlake Village; tax-assessment practices and zoning; providing for parks and school sites; planning for vehicular access to subdivisions; the Southern California Planning Congress; other community organizations actively involved in planning; the American Planning Association; the advantages of planning.