Cincinnati’s Controversial Zoning Plan Clears First Hurdle

The Cincinnati planning commission has approved the Connected Communities zoning plan after two years of public engagement, according to a local WCPO 9 News article by Andrew Ronan. The plan overhauls existing zoning codes which has prohibited construction of anything but single-family homes in most neighborhoods since the 1960s. In order to become law, it must now go for review and a vote by the city’s Equitable Growth and Housing Committee and then a final vote by the city council.

If approved into law, the Connected Communities proposal would allow developers to build duplexes, rowhomes, and small mixed-use buildings to neighborhood business districts and along major bus routes. Advocates for the plan say it is desperately needed to expand the city’s stagnant housing supply to meet the demands of its growing population and to support economic growth. Critics of the plan say it is a one-size-fits-all approach that leaves which neighborhoods to build in up to developers, which could lead to booms in neighborhoods whose infrastructure might not be adequate to support increased density.