The Planning Division of the Community Development Department advises the City Manager, City Council and its commissions, residents, the business community and the general public on current land use and development issues. It provides logistical support for assessing future demands for services related to land use in Beverly Hills and the surrounding region, including the West Side, greater Los Angeles and Southern California.

The Planning Division provides administrative assistance to the Planning Commission, which also serves as the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Agency, and the Architectural Commission, two separate decision-making (discretionary) boards mandated by the City Council to oversee current and future private land use in the City.  

It also maintains the General Plan and Zoning Code and maps that provide the policy and regulatory bases for land use and development as mandated by State and local laws. It also administers Community Development Block Grants and other limited Federally assisted programs for which residents are eligible. The department oversees all applications for discretionary permits needed to meet those requirements, including: 

• Subdivision (Tentative) Maps
• Zone Change/General Plan Amendments
• Conditional Use Permits
• Development Plan Reviews
• Variances
• R-1 Development Permits (for Hillside Trousdale, and Central single-family residential areas)
• R-4 Development Permits (for multi-family residential areas)
• Architectural Review (for commercial and multi-family residential areas)
• In-Lieu Parking Agreements (for the Business Triangle)
• Other minor accommodations to the Zoning Code.