This past Thursday was an important day in Los Angeles YIMBY history. Various areas of the city were upzoned due to letters and contact with the City Planning Commission. This is the first time this has ever happened in city history. The Commission heard public comment and actually told the planners they needed to add more housing.
This happened because 189 people submitted letters through the Abundant Housing LA website. It also happened because of the great work being done by Mark Vallianatos, Brent Gaisford, Gabe Rose and Leonora Yetter, along with others at Abundant Housing LA. At one point, the Commission even referred to the letter written by AHLA.
This is a victory, but it might be temporary. Paul Koretz, who is councilman for the 5th District, encompassing much of western L.A. proper, argued that they should not be upzoning this area until there are infrastructure improvements. I guess the billion dollar subway is not good enough for him. But it is possible that City Council could remove these upzones. We shall see.
Market Urbanism Report is sponsored by Panoramic Interests, a progressive developer in San Francisco. Panoramic, which is owned by Patrick Kennedy, specializes in 160 sqft micro-units (called MicroPads) that are built using modular construction materials. Panoramic has long touted these units as a cost-effective way to house San Francisco’s growing homeless population. But Panoramic also builds larger units of between 440-690 sqft. To learn more about Panoramic’s micro-unit model, read MUR’s coverage on the firm in its America’s Progressive Developers series. Or visit Panoramic’s website.
Market Urbanism Report is a media company that advances free-market city policy. We aim for a liberalized approach that produces cheaper housing, faster transport and better quality-of-life.