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.
"One market that could benefit from curbs on super-sized houses is the design profession. Ordinances that steer developers and individuals away from cookie-cutter McMansions, or that require homebuilders to finesse smaller footprints on oddly shaped lots and expand existing houses more tastefully, could increase demand for the services of an architect."
"'I have worked on projects where I've been hired because the zoning is too complex for the homeowner to work through and going for a variance is too big a risk to take,' says Frank Shirley, a residential architect based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 'There's no perfect zoning bylaws, but they do more good than bad.'"
"Other observers caution that it takes more than regulations to encourage quality architecture. 'It's not really about size, it's about design,' says Jeremiah Eck, FAIA, a partner at Boston-based Eck | MacNeely Architects. 'It has to be about artful decisions based in the craft of architecture with full participation by homeowners, designers-I didn't say just architects-and builders. Until we come to see our homes in that way, they will continue to be nothing more than speculative commodities.'"
Thanks to ArchNewsNow
FULL STORY: Will Downsizing McMansions Fatten Architects’ Wallets?
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.
McMimpact Fee Proposed
Should there be an extra fee for property owners who tear down an existing single-family home and replace it with a much larger, more expensive single-family home?
Behind America's Fixation on Big Houses
McMansion or not, the American home is a good 600 to 800 square feet larger than the average in most other countries. Possible reasons run the gamut from policy to culture to personal economics.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)