Opinion: Outdated Zoning Codes Stifle Growth and Development

Strict separation of uses may be an inefficient way to zone dynamic modern cities.

2 minute read

October 13, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Zoning map of Winnipeg, Canada, 1947

Manitoba Historical Maps / Winnipeg Zoning Map, 1947

Scott Beyer argues that current zoning codes impede the adaptive reuse of buildings that used to house offices and large retail, stifling a major potential source of supply that could feed the rising demand for industrial warehousing and residential uses. "Reforming such laws will be crucial for cities that want to stay economically dynamic and avoid the scourge of empty buildings," Beyer writes.

"The Wall Street Journal reports that lending for offices has plummeted to 35 percent of 2019 figures." Meanwhile, "[c]onventional retail faces similar trends. Moody’s predicted that retail vacancy nationwide could be as high as 12 percent in 2021 (it was already 10.6 percent for the first quarter)." But despite the "boom in demand for warehouse space" and rising demand for affordable urban housing, most zoning codes "still require that prime ground-level building space be reserved for increasingly obsolescent office and retail uses."

Communities have pushed back on proposed warehouse facilities. "[E]xamples of hostility to Amazon’s last-mile fulfillment warehouse centers have occurred in Denver, Boston and Seattle, while in central California, opponents of a Walmart distribution center called the project a threat to public health due to truck emissions." Beyer counters that "pushing these warehouses far from population centers will worsen the environment by increasing vehicle miles traveled."

Beyer goes on to discuss "perhaps the biggest zoning-caused distortion in modern real estate: housing. Everything about this sector speaks to scarcity," a problem which he partly attributes to "restrictive zoning laws that stifle new housing projects." Beyer suggests changing zoning codes to "allow empty office and retail spaces to be converted into housing," but also poses a broader question of whether land should be zoned by use at all. While land use zoning can provide an important buffer between residential areas and dangerous industrial uses, for example, strict separation of uses may be an outmoded way of zoning for the "ever-evolving" uses of modern cities.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 in The Market Urbanism Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Cars parked and plugged in at an EV charging lot in Santa Monica, California surrounded by palm trees.

EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps by Nearly 50% in California

Fast chargers still lag behind amidst rapid growth.

March 28 - Inside EVs

Construction workers on a suspended platform are installing thermal insulation on the facade of a modern apartment building, improving energy efficiency and reducing heat loss during cold weather.

Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks

HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.

March 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?

USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.

March 28 - Streetsblog USA