Debunking LA’s Urban Legend: “Green” McMansions CityWarch, 10.01.2012 by Dick Platkin* WHERE WE LIVE - New York might have alligators roaming its sewer system, but LA can now boast of its own urban legend: “green” McMansions. Yes, that’s right; in Los Angeles, McMansions, those boxy, oversized, energy-demanding suburban houses plopped into the middle of older neighborhoods are officially considered to be sustainable development. How could this be? After all, McMansions require huge amounts of energy to assemble their building materials and move them to job site. Furthermore, the houses themselves are massive, which means enormous heating and air conditioning bills, even if their windows are double-paned, their walls padded with extra insulation, and their restaurant-sized refrigerators and stoves Energy Star rated. Then we need to consider their multiple bathrooms and heated outdoor pools and spas, the most energy intensive features of modern houses. Othe...