A Conversation with Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez

Written by Shahrzad Razi, RA, LEED GA – Founding Principal, Razi Architects

As part of AIA|LA’s ongoing effort to bridge the gap between policy and practice, local architects gathered on Thursday, October 9th, for an in-person conversation with Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (District 54). Representing some of Los Angeles’s most densely populated neighborhoods, MacArthur Park, Koreatown, Lincoln Heights, Downtown LA, and the City of Commerce, Gonzalez brings both personal experience and legislative focus to the state’s housing crisis.

Mr. Gonzalez noted that over 80 percent of residents in his district are renters, a reality that informs his housing priorities. His background, rooted in East LA and shaped by years of public service under Assembly Speaker John Pérez and Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, gives him a deep understanding of the economic and social forces shaping Los Angeles communities.

He described the unique challenges of the 54th District: MacArthur Park’s overcrowded housing, Koreatown’s limited parking and dense development, Chinatown’s aging infrastructure, and the City of Commerce’s dependence on industrial revenue. The through-line was clear: affordability, infrastructure, and livability must be addressed together.

Mr. Gonzalez discussed his support for AB 647, which aims to streamline housing development approvals and expand opportunities for affordable housing production across California. He also referenced emerging legislation around adaptive reuse, building performance standards, and affordable-housing insurance, noting that high premiums have made some projects financially unviable.

Other priorities include:

● Expanding after-school and public health programs, recognizing education and well-being as integral to stable communities.

● Addressing hospital waste and street medicine access as part of broader public-health equity.

● Tackling urban infrastructure issues, from water and power reliability to copper-wire theft.

● Advocating for adaptive-reuse legislation that would ease code restrictions and seismic retrofit burdens on underused buildings.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on adaptive reuse, a key opportunity for architects to help unlock housing in underutilized properties. Mr. Gonzalez acknowledged that current regulations often make conversions prohibitively expensive, citing the cost of seismic retrofits, code compliance for change-of-use, and performance requirements under Title 24.

Mr. Will Wright stressed the need for flexibility and creative approaches from alternative performance compliance pathways that could make adaptive reuse more viable. Gonzalez’s openness to dialogue with architects signals a potential shift toward more collaborative policymaking around the built environment.

He also raised issues around parking ratios for affordable housing, questioning whether reduced-parking requirements always serve residents effectively. Gonzalez recognized that in transit-poor areas, lack of parking can become a barrier for working families, even in projects designed to promote sustainability.

As an architect, I was encouraged to see a policymaker engage so directly with the nuances of design, cost, and community impact. Gonzalez’s district is a microcosm of California’s housing crisis: dense, diverse, and full of opportunity for smarter, more resilient development. Conversations like this reinforce how architects can and must inform legislative thinking, ensuring that housing policy reflects the realities of building performance, constructability, and long-term community benefit.

Looking Ahead

AIA|LA continues to advocate for stronger collaboration between the design community and elected officials. Architects bring a systems-level understanding of how policy, infrastructure, and design intersect, and meetings like this one help translate that expertise into actionable change.

10/09/2025

Shahrzad Razi, RA, LEED GA – Founding Principal, Razi Architects

Shahrzad Razi is a licensed architect with over 15 years of experience specializing in high-end residential, retail, and interior design. Known for her entrepreneurial spirit, Shahrzad combines unparalleled organizational skills with a passion for creating efficient, functional, and aesthetically compelling spaces. Her work is deeply rooted in sustainable design, blending cutting-edge active and passive solutions to minimize environmental impact while maximizing user experience.

Shahrzad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona and a Master’s degree from UCLA’s SUPRASTUDIOS, where she further honed her expertise in innovative design strategies. As the founder of Razi Architects, she leads a dynamic firm that focuses on integrating technology with architectural practice, always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in both design and execution. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in every project, driven by a relentless pursuit of quality and attention to detail.

*Disclaimer: The advice and perspectives shared here belong to the author and should not be considered official recommendations from AIA Los Angeles.