ABSTRACT
The problem in existing built up areas was quite different. There the main issue was that local governments had no legal way of opposing any development that conformed to zoning and building standards laws, meaning that unpredictable changes in old neighbourhoods were common. As the land use zones allowed such a wide range of uses in most districts, and floor area ratios (FAR) were quite generous, it became very common for developers to buy land in existing neighbourhoods and build large highrise apartments, resulting in the boom of high-rise condominium development (the Manshon boom). This created intense conflicts between the existing residents of neighbourhoods and developers who built high-rise apartment blocks as described in the previous chapter. Because there were also effectively no restrictions on the subdivision of existing building plots, redevelopment of existing sites was also quite common. Many large older houses were demolished and replaced with three or four smaller ones. Such micro redevelopment could not be prevented by the planning system, which meant that it was impossible to protect existing neighbourhoods from gradual environmental decline by overcrowding. These weaknesses placed real limits on the possibilities for the improvement and protection of existing urban areas from inappropriate or damaging redevelopment. This was particularly a problem in historic areas, where the specific provisions for building restrictions were very weak, amounting primarily to height restrictions slightly stronger than in normal areas. While specific individual buildings could be designated as nationally protected, there were no legal means to regulate the building style or form of new buildings constructed nearby. This meant that it was in practice impossible to protect historic urban areas from being destroyed. District Plans would greatly enhance the legal framework for such historic preservation efforts, which are examined in more detail in Chapter 9.
