When I think about the character of L.A., I think about my best friend Edwyn, the son of immigrants, born and raised in Compton. He overcame poverty and homelessness as a child, beating the odds at every turn to earn a full ride to UCLA Law School, where he’ll be my classmate this fall. If this city has a character, it’s Edwyn.
Edwyn is also legally blind. He doesn’t drive, and he never will. Is it right to tell Edwyn that his city isn’t built for him, that he needs a car to get around because that’s the way things always have been and always will be?
In 2025, Los Angeles is facing an existential question: what is our true character? Is it the blocks of bungalows bounded by white picket fences that attracted people from all over the country during the 20th century? Or is it the people themselves, driven by the undying promise of moving to Los Angeles for a better life? I think it’s the latter, and that’s why I’m supporting SB 79, which makes it easier to build housing around public transit.
SB 79 is a state bill that simultaneously addresses access to transit and the housing crisis. It allows 5- to 6-story buildings within a half mile of subway stops, 4-to 5story buildings around light rail, and 3- to 4-story buildings around rapid bus stations. Building homes within walking distance of public transit would immensely benefit a lot of people like Edwyn by increasing the stock of available housing and improving accessibility. In other words, SB 79 would protect the character of this city.
Part of the reason Los Angeles looks the way it does is due to our zoning laws. Broadly speaking, zoning laws are a patchwork of rules and regulations that affect the sort of housing that can be built. Among the most arbitrary of these rules is that over 70% of L.A.’s residential land is restricted to single-family homes. The net effect of these regulations is that in most of L.A., it’s against the law to build anything other than a single-family home on a large lot – the white picket fence style of American living.
Given the severity of L.A.’s housing drought, I was surprised to read a motion co-authored by L.A. city councilmembers Traci Park and John Lee opposing SB 79. Park and Lee are not opposing the bill for substantial reasons: after all, SB 79 will legalize housing that costs less than most of the single-family homes that exist around transit stops. Instead, they argue that the city should maintain local control over zoning “to best serve the needs of its residents, ensure community input, and protect the unique character of its neighborhoods while still complying with state housing needs”.
What they’re saying is that the character of the neighborhoods is the buildings, not the people. Park and Lee want to protect the single-family homes that dominate L.A.’s car-dependent sprawl and serve the people lucky enough to afford them. Everyone else will be priced out, like many of the nearly 200,000 people who have left L.A. County in the last five years alone. The city needs to build nearly a half million new homes by 2030 to meet existing demand, a goal that will remain out of reach without innovative policies like SB 79.
If L.A. gets its unique character from its people, there’s no way we’ll be able to preserve our character without policies like SB 79. It’s easy to get caught up in the weeds, so let’s imagine what Los Angeles might look like if this bill passes.
Fast forward to 2049: schoolkids step off the Metro at Expo/Bundy, returning from a museum trip. Some unlock bikes, others catch electric buses or walk home past shaded sidewalks, bustling cafes, and friendly neighbors. The streets are calmer, the air is cleaner, and LA has gone 14 years without a traffic death.
Families share cars, rely on transit, and live in mixed-income apartments legalized by forward-thinking housing reforms. The neighborhood is populated by a mix of people: welders, teachers, lawyers, and kids growing up unburdened by fear in a city reconnected by transit and community. None of this is guaranteed by SB 79. But without it, this vision stays illegal.
This is the future that I want. SB 79 signifies our openness to building our society centered around people, not cars. It moves us closer to achieving our housing goals and protects freedom and opportunity for all — especially people like Edwyn, people that give this city its character. The vision of Los Angeles I’ve laid out is my dream; better than that, it’s our plan. SB 79 isn’t the end of the track. But it’s a stop along the way.
Jonathan Hale is a rising second-year law student at UCLA focusing on immigration law and urban planning. In his free time, he enjoys photography, exploring LA, and hanging out with his dog. Thomas Irwin is a writer who works in the faith-based economic development field.