New Research Builds Evidence for Zoning Reform

Cityscape has published a collection of new research building support for zoning reforms as a tool for mitigating the effects of the housing affordability crisis.

2 minute read

August 29, 2023, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


In the past, scientific evidence on the effects of increased housing supply was hard to come by and the findings of the scant body of research often produced contradictory findings.

With every passing year, the number of studies on the subject of zoning reform for housing supply increases. The latest examples comes from Cityscape, a research journal published by the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The most recent edition of the journal included a symposium of papers adding a pile of new research on the effects of zoning reforms.

Adam A. Milsap, writing for Forbes, provides explanations of each of these studies, describing the collection as confirmation that “that zoning changes and other land-use reforms can increase the supply of housing, help control prices, and boost local tax bases.” Among the collection, three studies focus on recent zoning reform efforts in California, including legalization of accessory dwelling units and greater enforcement of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process.  

Another study, based on previous research by Nolan Gray, focuses on reforms in Houston that reduced the minimum lot size from 5,000 square feet to as low as 1,400 square feet in some areas. The new study, by Jake Wegmann, Aabiya Noman Baqai, and Josh Conrad, “finds that this minimum lot size reform led to increased development on underused commercial and industrial land and in largely underbuilt middle-income neighborhoods,” according to Milsap.

Monday, August 28, 2023 in Forbes

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

May 21 - San Francisco Examiner

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth

Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

May 21 - GovTech

Top view new development riverside residential and commercial neighborhood with vacant land in Texas, USA.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas

Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.

May 21 - The Texas Tribune