California: single-family zoning to duplex?

California seems to be heading towards greater density and zoning regulations. The New York Times reported that it appears that legislation allowing duplex is on what ordinarily would’ve been single-family zoning lots will soon be past and change the potential outlook for single-family zoning in that state. Take a look at this article.  While higher density in many of our urban areas is certainly a desirable result, and more suburban, let alone rural areas, it would seem to be unnecessary and most likely bound to attract vehement opposition.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, in other urban areas, certainly Nashville, we seem to be headed in a somewhat different direction. When Nashville first adopted zoning back in the early part of the 20th century, all residential areas were permitted duplexes, that is, there were no single-family residential districts per se. Certainly you could have a single-family home but that’s only district would also allow a duplex.

Over the last 40 or 50 years, we have moved in the other direction, adopting a series of new zoning district switch permit only single-family residences and exclude duplexes or more than one home on a single zone lot.