Density Isn't New For Los Angeles

Forgotten in the ongoing debate about new high-density development is the city's long history of multi-family and mixed-use housing.

2 minute read

September 17, 2007, 1:00 PM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"There has been much hand-wringing and some angst of late over the upsurge of big residential projects downtown and in other parts of Los Angeles. The new apartment and condo towers, as well as mixed-use projects, are anxiously portrayed as the "first sprouts of a vertical cityscape" or a "testing ground for a vision of a dense, taller L.A," according to stories in The Times. Some even decry "the Manhattanization of Los Angeles," which, they say, would threaten the city's suburban, single-dwelling character.

All this fretting misses an important historical fact: L.A. has been an urban place with plenty of multifamily housing for a century now. Yet this image runs contrary to all we think we know about our hometown in the early 1900s. What about all those Craftsman bungalows and stucco cottages on private lots? we ask.

True, Los Angeles did have many single-family dwellings. But that's only half the story. In 1924, the Eberle Economics consulting firm calculated that 167,000, or just over half, of the city's 328,000 housing units were detached homes. The remaining units were in duplexes, four-flats, bungalow courts and apartment houses of every description.

This ordinary part of the urban landscape did not fit the powerful Arcadian myth crafted by local boosters, however. These growth-driven business leaders and real estate speculators tirelessly promoted Los Angeles as a "city of homes" -- a suburban paradise for homeowners of all classes -- to distinguish it from other cities competing for new residents. In fact, as of 1930, the proportion of single-family dwellings in L.A. was lower than that in San Diego, Miami and Denver."

Monday, September 17, 2007 in The 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

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of smartphone with USDOT website pulled up and screen with USDOT logo in background.

DOT Memo Directs Transportation Funding to Communities With Higher Marriage and Birth Rates, Compliance with Immigration Officials and No Mask Mandates

The memo ties immigration enforcement to federal funding and prohibits mask or vaccine mandates.

February 5, 2025 - Huffpost

ELderly woman wearing black helmet and blue puffy vest stands next to e-bike with white and brown dog in rear basket.

Washington State E-Bike Rebate Set to Launch in April

The state program will offer up to $1,200 to fund the purchase of electric bikes.

February 4, 2025 - The Bellingham Herald

Native American ruins at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in winter with snow.

BLM Approves Controversial Oil and Gas Leases on Navajo Land

The parcels are located near a sensitive archaeological site, but some Indigenous leaders approve of the move, which will bring in millions in revenue.

6 hours ago - High Country News

Cars and pedestrians on Hong Kong street at night.

Hong Kong Cab Hailing App Folds — and Uber Takes Over

HKTaxi launched a year before Uber came to town. Now, it’s shutting down. Lawmakers worry a monopoly looms.

7 hours ago - South China Morning Post

Small encampment with tents and mattress along heating pipe in green forest.

Rural Homelessness Could Be Vastly Underestimated, Study Finds

The annual ‘point in time’ count fails to capture the diverse types of situations experienced by unhoused people in rural communities.

February 13 - The Daily Yonder