The Impacts and Controls of Supersized Houses

2011 (Presenter Jack Nasar, Professor of City & Regional Planning, Ohio State University, Editor, Journal of Planning Literature) - “A builder is now constructing a massive mansion some ten times larger than the pre-existing building on each lot … These large land-use changes in such a small area have significant effects on the town as a whole” (McMansions: The Extent and Regulation of Super-sized Houses by Jack L. Nasar, Jennifer S. Evans-Cowley, Vicente Mantero). Urban design is where design meets public policy. This talk addresses two urban design issues: 1) the extent, impact and regulation of McMansions (supersized houses); and 2) design guidelines to allow residents to build or expand their house without harming the character of the street. First, I will define McMansions and talk about their consequences for smart growth and the economics of communities. I will discuss my survey of 103 U.S. cities on the extent and presence of McMansions and the regulatory approaches that communities use to control them. Secondly, communities need to know what to control and what constitutes “too big.” Using color simulations, six studies tested the perceived compatibility and visual appeal of streets in relation to characteristics of the infill house and its context. I will conclude with design guidelines that emerge from the studies, how to refine them for local contexts, and discuss an ongoing study on the effectiveness of two regulatory approaches that communities use to deal with McMansion. This lecture was recorded at "Smart Growth," the Elizabeth Babbott Conant Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment at Connecticut College on March 4 and 5, 2011. https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/majors-departments-programs/majors-and-minors/goodwin-niering-center-for-the-environment/conferences/smart-growth/