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For the latest in a series on the laws that shaped Los Angeles, KCET's Jeremy Rosenberg examines 1999's Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which made possible downtown's wave of condo conversion projects.
One of the key factors, along with Staples Center (opened 1999), Disney Hall (2003) and L.A. Live. (2007), leading to the resurgence of downtown Los Angeles, is the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO), passed by the City Council in 1999.
Developed as a tool that "provides for an expedited approval process and ensures that older and historic building are not subjected to the same zoning and code requirements that apply to new construction," the success of the ARO is evidenced in the residential population growth of downtown LA between 1999 and 2008 of at least 7,300 housing units, from long-term vacant buildings alone. The total number of housing units added downtown in the thirty years prior is just 4,300, notes Rosenberg.
Key to the success of the ordinance, Donald Shoup points out, is the elimination of minimum parking requirements for the newly residential buildings. In effect, this feature allowed many historic buildings that would have been demolished for their lack of parking, to be saved and converted.
FULL STORY: How Downtown L.A. Became a Place to Live (without Parking)
Putting a Stop to Disabled-Placard Fraud in L.A.
The fine for misuse of a placard will increase considerably, but not everyone agrees this is the right way to address a growing problem.
Downtown Los Angeles Punching Above its Weight in Residential Development
Shane Phillips shares the results of his own analysis about how completely Downtown Los Angeles has dominated the supply of new housing units in the city since 1999.
The Solution to Los Angeles' Crumbling Sidewalks
Parking guru Donald Shoup discusses how the city of Los Angeles can fix its roughly 4,300 miles of sidewalk that require some degree of repair, for free.
New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.
New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.
Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.
Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.
Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?
New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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