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In the past, the term McMansion referred to huge suburban homes that were built at a low cost because the builder was typically able to buy inexpensive land and put large homes on them. The derogatory term McMansion stuck alluding to the mass produced estate homes in a subdivision. The term has now morphed into a home that is much larger and potentially ostentatious than the surrounding neighborhood.

And this is how urban areas are being infiltrated with McMansions. Families that prefer the larger homes are now trying to avoid the longer commutes and buying up smaller intown homes and either converting them or demolishing the homes to build much larger properties than is typical in these communities. In the past this was called gentrification, but those opposed to development in these neighborhoods have latched onto the term McMansion as it has greater appeal to the media.

Now the trend is creeping from pricey, historical enclaves like Kenilworth and Denver’s Washington Park into middle-class bastions like Denver’s Platt Park and University Hills — aging tracts of 1,000-square-foot bungalows built from the ’20s through the ’50s. Some families weary of long commutes from the newer suburbs are turning back inward and remaking older neighborhoods to suit modern tastes.
While the teardown trend has slowed somewhat nationally because of the housing slump, bulldozers continue to roll in Denver: Home demolition permits numbered 198 in 2004, 352 in 2005, and were on track this year — 111 in the first five months of 2006.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation said teardowns threaten the character of 300 communities in 33 states, and that more than 75,000 homes are torn down and replaced with larger homes each year.
Ed Tombari, a land planner with the National Association of Home Builders, said critics of teardowns have it backward.
“We perceive teardown housing as part of the overall smart-growth strategy to direct development to the inner cities and to areas that already have infrastructure and public transportation,” Tombari said. via MSNBC.com.

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