The local planning commission for South Los Angeles rejected a controversial multi-family housing development proposed for a location adjacent to a future light rail station.
"The South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission has voted to reject a plan for 577 apartments near a Crenshaw Boulevard light-rail station, the latest flare-up in a debate over gentrification and the benefits of market-rate housing," reports David Zahniser.
The District Square development faced controversy from the outset, and inspired the local city councilmember to propose a new "Anti-Displacement Zone" policy for the city.
The action by the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission effectively kills the project, according to Zahniser, but there are more large multi-family projects in the works for parcels near the District Square development site.
An attorney for the developer is quoted in the article saying the project complied with zoning regulations for the site, and thus the decision to reject the proposal could run afoul of state law. Zahniser also documents the growing political opposition to development in South L.A. as concerns about gentrification and displacement grow.
FULL STORY: Amid gentrification fears, officials kill plan for 577 apartments in South L.A.
Judge Tosses Area Planning Commission Decision on Controversial South L.A. Project
The California Housing Accountability Act, approved by the State Legislature in 2017, is cited in a court ruling that soundly rebuffs the decision by the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission to veto a controversial project.
Developer Sues L.A. After Area Planning Commissioners Reject Multi-Family Project
A development controversy also now an expanding legal controversy, after a local planning commission rejected a controversial development proposal allowed by zoning.
Is Anti-Growth the Wrong Approach to Fighting Gentrification?
Limiting development has been a powerful tool for anti-gentrification activists, but have these policies had counter-productive effects?
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
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.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
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.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie