An opinion piece calls out suburban communities for perpetuating structural inequality and housing discrimination. Recently converted social justice advocates should focus their zeal on zoning reform, according to the argument that follows.

Sara C. Bronin writes an opinion piece for the Courier Journal in Louisville connecting the calls for racial and social justice to land use reform as expressed by local zoning laws: "We must not forget about one of the most important perpetuators of fundamental inequalities in the country today: zoning."
"Every resident of an affluent, suburban town who marched in solidarity should be on the phone today with their elected leaders, trying to get zoning reforms on their town’s agenda," according to Bronin, to change the ongoing legacies of the exclusionary and discriminatory history of zoning.
It's no coincidence that Bronin's opinion piece is found in Louisville's local daily newspaper.
In 1916, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this type of “racial zoning” as unconstitutional, in a case called Buchanan v. Warley. At issue was a Louisville zoning ordinance that was written “to prevent conflict and ill feeling between white and colored races,” and “to preserve the public peace.” The method of achieving these goals? The “use of separate blocks for residences, places of abode, and places of assembly by white and colored people respectively.”
Although Louisville's racial zoning didn't pass muster with the 14th Amendment, zoning practices still "perpetuate structural inequities and block access to opportunity," according to Bronin, and in 2020, the Supreme Court can't be relied on to overturn the ongoing discriminatory practices of zoning.
As documented by a recent Planetizen feature, Louisville is still struggling to correct massive disparities in public health outcomes for low-income neighborhoods and people of color.
FULL STORY: Opinion: In fight for justice, zoning laws that exclude low-income people must be changed

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.

Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.

Denver E-Bike Rebate Program Proves Wildly Popular
The city is temporarily pausing applications after the program ran out of funds less than a month after the city announced it.
City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.