| The City of Los Angeles, situated near the Pacific | | | | construction, with a more than 15 percent increase to |
| Ocean coast, surrounded by the San Bernardino | | | | approximately 28,000 persons. This amount surpassed |
| Mountain Range, is the most populous city in California. | | | | estimates and, with a higher number of housing units |
| The city has come a long way since it was | | | | being built, has pushed the total count to possibly be |
| established in 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de | | | | more than 40,000 by the end of 2008. Unfortunately, |
| Neve. Building and construction has proceeded at a | | | | the number of extant jobs in the area has fallen to |
| somewhat uneven pace since then. The downtown | | | | 418,000, down from an estimated 605,000 a decade |
| area, in particular, is currently undergoing something of | | | | ago. |
| a renaissance, with many historic buildings being | | | | This year, the City Council approved widespread |
| changed into expensive lofts. | | | | changes to the downtown's zoning laws. Muchly |
| Most major downtown department stores once | | | | desired by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the changes will |
| operated out of stand-alone buildings in the area. Many | | | | accelerate more building and construction by allowing |
| were closed in the 1970's and 80's, as there was a | | | | for bigger and more closely-packed developments. In |
| movement away from stand-alones and into modern | | | | addition, builders who keep 15 percent of their units for |
| office parks and shopping malls. With the city's | | | | low-income residents are to be exempt from certain |
| westward movement of the commercial center, | | | | building requirements and living spaces can be |
| downtown LA was lacking much nightlife until more | | | | constructed that are more than 30 percent larger than |
| recent times. | | | | existent zoning laws call for. |
| Despite the fact that the building and construction | | | | Interestingly, a number of the core downtown buildings |
| process proceeded relatively quickly, the LA City | | | | date way back in the turn of the century. Between |
| Council made things even faster by enacting a reuse | | | | then and the late 1050's, a rigid zoning law restrained |
| ordinance, thus making it simpler for developers to | | | | building heights at under 150 feet, causing a fairly |
| convert vacant old office buildings to high-class lofts | | | | homogenous skyline. Reportedly, it was done not for |
| and luxury apartment complexes. A slew of | | | | fear of earthquakes, but to maintain a uniform height in |
| professionals, fed up with the city's notorious traffic | | | | the area and to avoid New York City style congestion. |
| problems, were the first to move in. | | | | None of these laws exist today, as a skyline filled with |
| The number of residents in downtown LA has grown | | | | tall office buildings bears evidence to. |
| since the early 2000's, in part due to all the building and | | | | |