Building Restrictions

Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, says that the Los Angeles Regional Water Control Board is the least environmentally friendly board in decades.

In a series of open houses to debate whether its building height restrictions should be changed, former Vancouver city planner Larry Beasley debated with architect Richard Henriquez.

Officials in Fort Worth, Texas, are searching for ways to deal with buildings left vacant by businesses struggling during the recession. Other cities and the state of Texas are also addressing the issue.

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.