Palm Desert Objective Design Standards

The City of Palm Desert traditionally relied on discretionary design review and anecdotal guidelines to shape buildings and places project by project. However, with new California housing crisis legislation, this type of subjective review is prohibited and replaced by requirements that allow cities to only enforce objective, i.e. measurable and quantifiable, design standards (ODS) for multifamily and mixed-use residential projects.

 JKA (urban design) with TODO (landscape architecture) were retained by Palm Desert to develop ODS for non-discretionary projects with residential components. They were also challenged to develop standards that reflect the City’s setting and character.

 The new ODS emphasize the use of desert flora, drought-resistant landscape buffers, and defined open spaces between existing neighborhoods and homes and new multifamily and mixed-use projects. Requirements for shade, inducing elements both natural and built form, are also emphasized. And the City’s overall atmosphere is further reinforced through a defined material and color palette inspired by the local desert and mountain setting. The adopted standards, both written and illustrated, align the design of new projects with Palm Desert’s unique Coachella Valley environment.

To facilitate the use of the standards by both applicants and City staff, the ODS also incorporate a design standards checklist. The checklist outlines requirements and options, helps ensure consistent ministerial design reviews, provides for a more efficient design review process for multifamily and mixed-use project approvals, and most importantly is a clear expression of the community’s design expectations for use of local environmental design character and identity in each new project.

Consultant Team
Environmental Science Associates: Environmental Consulting
Tajima Open Design Office: Landscape Architecture