Downzoning is the New Redlining

Downzoning is the practice of reducing an area’s dwelling unit capacity, whether by forbidding or limiting multiple-family dwellings, or through restrictive regulations, such as increased parking requirements, larger minimum lot sizes and building setbacks. These strategies should not be confused with anti-mansionization ordinances that restrict the size of extra-large single-family homes.

In the 1970s and 80s, downzoning reduced LA’s planned population capacity from 10 million to 4 million. A mobilized association of affluent and politically connected homeowners succeeded in downzoning specific areas of the city by changing zoning classifications from multi-family to single-family and, in areas still open to multi-family development, by lowering density classifications, for example, from R3 to a new reduced density RD-1.5 zone. These more restrictive zones drastically lowered the number of allowable units and, in many areas, even reduced the zoning capacity to below the density of units already built.

While mostly affluent areas were downzoned, areas already suffering from overcrowding, less open space, struggling schools, and strained police precincts were upzoned to provide a disproportionate share of needed housing. Just as with redlining, public policies were co-opted by those with greater influence.