L.A.’s "cram 'em in" City Council decided today that downtown needs larger developments, denser developments - developments so tight that there's no space between buildings. They're calling it urban-style planning principles; I'm calling it crowded and crazy. Well, maybe not so crazy, given the $lobbying$ by developers and downtown business interests. Here's more from the LAT:

The vote is a major victory for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others who have argued that Los Angeles needs significantly denser zoning to keep up with demand for housing. The city is in the midst of a building boom that has seen high-density housing projects rise in downtown as well as Century City, Mid-Wilshire, West L.A. and pockets of the San Fernando Valley. But these projects have also sparked a backlash from some residents, who say the new housing is worsening traffic and their quality of life.

No kidding. What's galling, of course, is the pretense that these rules will encourage development of low-income housing, when in fact much of the construction now going up is aimed at the professional class. C’mon folks – just admit it. Nobody is paying attention anyway.