Exclusionary Zoning

Ranking Exclusionary Zoning: D.C., New York Metro Areas Top the List
A new database measures the restrictiveness of exclusionary zoning practices around the country. Exclusionary zoning, it turns out, is much more prevalent than commonly acknowledged.

How Federal Policy Can Support More Affordable Housing in Exclusionary Communities
The recently funded “Yes In My Back Yard” federal grant program provides support for local and state governments to implement housing policy reforms, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the exclusionary practices of wealthy communities.

Is Exclusionary Zoning a Good Thing?
Some commentators defend exclusionary suburban zoning on the ground that it makes affluent suburbanites more willing to pay for public services. But does exclusion create losers?

How ‘Rental Deserts’ Perpetuate Inequity
Close to one-third of American neighborhoods have very few housing options for renter households, who tend to be disproportionately people of color and low-income families.

Boise Backing Off Proposed Citywide Zoning Changes
Boise was considering allowing up to four units by-right on any residential parcel in the city, but has since rolled back the scale of the proposed zoning changes.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Dallas-Area City Wants to Increase Minimum Home Size to 2,000 Square Feet
While some cities are finding ways to add density and use zoning as a tool for affordability, Mesquite, Texas is headed the other direction.

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

Report: How Housing Inequity Shrinks Economic Opportunities
Increasingly unaffordable housing in most U.S. metropolitan areas is pushing low-income workers farther away, decreasing their access to economic opportunities.

Biden Wants to Incentivize Inclusionary Zoning
Traditionally the purview of local governments, single-family zoning has come under fire as ‘exclusionary.’ Now, the federal government wants to encourage cities to loosen restrictions.

Why Inclusionary Zoning Alone Won't Solve the Housing Crisis
Building enough affordable housing to meet current shortages will take more concerted effort from policymakers.

Columbus Weighs Revisions to Outdated, Inequitable Zoning Code
The city is seeking ways to boost affordable housing development and encourage mixed-use, transit-oriented development.

Gainesville Weighs Zoning Reform Proposal
The northern Florida city could follow others in removing barriers to building accessory dwelling units and multifamily buildings in neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes. Some local residents oppose the plan.

'Monster Homes' Not the Desired Density Solution for Oahu
Questions of density, and how to add it to single-family neighborhoods, abound in this article focusing on Honolulu and other communities on Oahu.

Exclusionary Zoning and Poverty: A New Hampshire Case Study
A deep dive into the history of zoning and development in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Ballot Initiative Could Overturn California's Zoning Reforms
The "mother of all NIMBY initiatives" is seeking signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot in California.

More Evidence Upzoning Alone Won't Boost Housing
Experts caution that to encourage significant new housing production, other zoning reforms that reduce costs and streamline permitting should accompany increased density requirements.

Zoning Reform and Tax Abatements Drive Cincinnati's New Housing Equity Agenda
New political leadership in Cincinnati is centering housing equity in a proposal that would ease zoning restrictions and streamline Low Income Housing Tax Credits, among other measures.

Washington Could Legalize 'Missing Middle' Housing Statewide
A proposed bill in the Washington state legislature that would legalize more multi-family housing in the state could add hundreds of thousands of units to the state's strained housing stock.

Survey: Seattle-Area Residents Support Upzoning
To fight the growing housing crisis, most King County residents support an end to single-family zoning and accelerated housing development, according to a new poll.
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