The Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted Thursday to steer new housing construction away from the nearly three-quarters of residential land in the city reserved for single-family homes.
The decision represents a key step toward completing a massive rezoning effort required under state law. L.A. is running low on time to come up with plans for where to put more than 450,000 new homes over the next five years. Because the city’s current zoning can’t handle all that growth, city planners have been working on ideas for achieving that goal.
In simple terms, the proposal approved by the Planning Commission this week includes new incentives for developers to build taller, denser buildings in neighborhoods that already allow for apartments. Developers will have to keep some of those units affordable to low-income renters. Low-slung single-family neighborhoods will remain largely untouched.
Apartments not allowed in 72% of LA neighborhoods
A map created by UC Berkeley researchers shows the L.A. neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, highlighted in pink. Their calculation adds up to 74% while the city says it’s 72%.
UC Berkeley Othering and Belonging Institute
)
The unanimous decision was welcome news for homeowner groups that have fought to keep denser forms of housing outside of the 72% of L.A.’s residential land currently zoned for single-family homes. However, the vote…
Read the full article here
