In a ruling that could help bolster the enforcement of zoning ordinances that cap house size, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently upheld the authority of local communities to restrict overbuilding. Although the case is one of a handful around the nation to take up the issue so far, interest in smart growth and sustainability is increasingly focusing regulators’ attention on house size—and this could ultimately accrue to the benefit of architects.

“It’s a very telling sign that the court is addressing the significance of mansionization,” says Lora Lucero, a staff attorney with the American Planning Association. “The justices focused on the negative impact on the neighborhood.”