Zoned in the USA

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1. wnissenFeb 2023
   If you have an interest, the most comprehensive book I'm aware of is "Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation" by Sonia Hirt. Cornell University Press. 2014. ISBN 978-0-8014-5305-2.

   She's the one quoted in the LA Times article: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-19/single-fam...

   Full disclosure, I was so impressed with Prof. Hirt's book that I wrote her Wikipedia page.

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2. nickffApr 2022
   Vancouver used to be the city with the highest proportion of single family dwelling zoning in North America. It was the example of SFH zoning in "Zoned in the USA", a very good book on the history of zoning in North America.
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3. davidwMar 2018
   If it were just developers, there wouldn't be the political constituency for it. Also, developers make money whatever kind of market-rate construction they're doing, in a decent market.

   If you're interested in the subject, some good takes on it are the books I list here (Zoned in the USA and Zoning Rules!):

   https://bendyimby.com/2017/06/12/yimby-reading/

   Or, if you want to get a very real sense, the next time some apartments get proposed in your town, go to the public hearings and listen to the neighbors rant, rave, froth at the mouth and otherwise raise a hue and cry that life as they know it will not go on if the poor peop...errr, I mean apartments get built anywhere near them.

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4. davidwJul 2017
   That book is awesome - a super deep dive into the nuances of the legalities and economics of zoning. The guy has even visited a number of sites cited in important court cases.

   I also like "Zoned in the USA" for its comparisons with other countries, particularly in Europe, which - to my way of looking at things - seem to get some things right that are very strange in the US.

   Here's a bunch of other articles and things I've found interesting/useful:

   https://bendyimby.com/2017/06/12/yimby-reading/

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5. davidwJun 2017
   It does mention that:

   > The famously flat Dutch terrain, combined with densely-populated areas, mean that most journeys are of short duration and not too difficult to complete.

   The problem in the US is, in no small part, due to zoning. I've been making my way through this:

   http://amzn.to/2tkSbsH - "Zoned in the USA"

   And the detailed look at how other countries do things is interesting - they're certainly no "libertopia", but far more typologies of housing are allowed, as well as commercial uses in primarily residential areas.

   It's worth a look for those who are deeply interested in the topic.

   I actually have quite a collection of articles about this stuff, as it's been one of my main interests lately:

   https://bendyimby.com/2017/06/12/yimby-reading/

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6. groby_bMay 2016
   Of course, the issue is not zoning laws, but bad zoning laws. European zoning laws are mostly concerned with actual urban planning. US zoning laws are focused on maintaining property values.

   Read e.g. "Zoned in the USA"[1] for a nice introduction to the topic.

   [1]http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=8014010017822...

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