Mansion-Limiting Ordinance Passed in LA

In either a complete break from character, or better, a sign of changing times, Los Angeles has passed an ordinance limiting the size of building conversions. The city hopes to slow gentrification and discourage mansions, preserve cultural richness and diversity.

Often, aging apartment buildings are purchased, their poor tenants evicted, and the buildings are remodeled as giant lofts or single-family mansions. LA has made an effort to put a stop to that practice, limiting the square footage of remodeled buildings to 4,000 feet ("small" only by LA standards, perhaps). The city council cited the need to preserve neighborhoods, both in demographical diversity and architectural character. The council also hinted that similar ordinances could be in store for LA’s hilly landscape. Mansion discipline was first exercised by Boulder, CO, which limited lot size in May.

The building community objected that it brought property prices down, overlooking that making property affordable was the policy goal. This type of legislation is important if municipalities are concerned with preserving housing stock that will be affordable for working families. Recently, San Francisco reported that families making 150k or less fell by almost 20%, while families making more than 200k increased by 50%. It is important for cities to be ecologically sustainable as well as economically sustainable; the two are inextricably linked. LA’s mansion limitations do thi: move toward both economic and ecological sustainability.