A New Kind of Planning Controversy: the Emoji House

A complaint about an illegal Airbnb, a very visual response, and a headache for city officials in the city of Manhattan Beach, California.

1 minute read

August 18, 2019, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Emoji Neighborhood

Arizzona Design / Shutterstock

Alexa Díaz reports on a controversy in a Southern California beach town surrounding a home with bright pink paint job, adorned with two giant emojis.

Neighbors of the home on 39th Street in Manhattan Beach "say it’s retribution in a property dispute that has turned into a battle with the city," according to Díaz.

The whole controversy can be traced back to neighbors reporting the owner, Kathryn Kidd, fir renting the house on Airbnb, which is illegal in the city. "After Kidd was fined for violating the city’s rental laws, the property was painted bubble-gum pink with yellow emojis, as first reported by Easy Reader News," according to Díaz.

Now the controversy is headed to the desks of city attorneys and city planners, who are considering adopting regulations that require paint jobs on homes to be "content neutral."

Wednesday, August 7, 2019 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Close-up of traffic congestion from behind cars on a freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop

When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.

March 17, 2025 - Todd Litman

Close-up of "City Hall" plaque on building with gold lettering on black.

Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?

Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.

45 minutes ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Close-up of seedling sprouting from ground with blurred people gardening in background.

Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events

Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.

2 hours ago - Local Government Commission

Close-up on pedestrian crosswalk light in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin with historic building with steeple visible in background.

Milwaukee Announces 60 Traffic Calming Projects for 2025

The city has successfully reduced traffic deaths and aims to eliminate them completely within the next decade.

4 hours ago - Urban Milwaukee