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.

1 minute read

March 25, 2020, 11:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Los Angeles Residential

Joakim Lloyd Raboff / Shutterstock

"In 2008, [Los Angeles] enacted rules designed to crack down on the size of new residences in areas zoned for single-family housing. After the original ordinance was criticized for being too lenient, it was strengthened in 2017, limiting the square footage of homes to 45 percent of a lot’s size," writes Zoie Matthew.

But in the Melrose area of the city, developers are still putting up McMansions, which are driving up home prices and dwarfing surrounding homes. The issue is they are building single-family homes on lots zoned for multifamily buildings.

"In these zones, which were not covered by the original anti-mansionization legislation, developers are allowed to build multiple units—but are not required to build up to the maximum density," says Matthew.

Even with ongoing debates throughout the state about upzoning, city officials and residents want the McMansion construction to stop. "[Councilmember David] Ryu says he plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would expand the baseline mansionization ordinance to multifamily lots, in an attempt to close the loophole," notes Matthew.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Curbed Los Angeles

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

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.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine