A recent ruling that upholds the right of local communities to control overbuilding may prove to increase the crackdown on McMansions -- and demand for design professionals and architects.
"One market that could benefit from curbs on super-sized houses is the design profession. Ordinances that steer developers and individuals away from cookie-cutter McMansions, or that require homebuilders to finesse smaller footprints on oddly shaped lots and expand existing houses more tastefully, could increase demand for the services of an architect."
"'I have worked on projects where I've been hired because the zoning is too complex for the homeowner to work through and going for a variance is too big a risk to take,' says Frank Shirley, a residential architect based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 'There's no perfect zoning bylaws, but they do more good than bad.'"
"Other observers caution that it takes more than regulations to encourage quality architecture. 'It's not really about size, it's about design,' says Jeremiah Eck, FAIA, a partner at Boston-based Eck | MacNeely Architects. 'It has to be about artful decisions based in the craft of architecture with full participation by homeowners, designers-I didn't say just architects-and builders. Until we come to see our homes in that way, they will continue to be nothing more than speculative commodities.'"
Thanks to ArchNewsNow
FULL STORY: Will Downsizing McMansions Fatten Architects’ Wallets?
L.A.'s Crackdown on McMansions Hasn't Stopped Them from Going Up
Legislation to stop construction of McMansions is being undermined by a zoning loophole.
McMimpact Fee Proposed
Should there be an extra fee for property owners who tear down an existing single-family home and replace it with a much larger, more expensive single-family home?
Behind America's Fixation on Big Houses
McMansion or not, the American home is a good 600 to 800 square feet larger than the average in most other countries. Possible reasons run the gamut from policy to culture to personal economics.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie