Review: "An Even Better Way to Zone"

This review is part of a special collaboration between Planetizen and Booked on Planning, a biweekly podcast where AICP planners Stephanie Rouse and Jennifer Hiatt chat with authors of the latest books shaping urban planning today. Listen to the episode with today’s author in the player below.

In “An Even Better Way to Zone,” Donald Elliott provides a much-needed update to his first book, “A Better Way to Zone” (2008), offering a sophisticated yet accessible framework for modern land-use regulation. In the first book, Elliott laid the groundwork for better zoning by critiquing traditional Euclidean zoning. This follow-up book refines those arguments into actionable strategies for modern application, focusing on redevelopment and infill development.

The primary difference in this latest book lies in its ability to shift from theory to application, reflecting his 20 years of experience working with communities to rewrite their zoning codes. Where his first book focused heavily on the problems with rigid, use-based zoning, "An Even Better Way to Zone" focuses on solutions to everyday development challenges. It moves past the form-based vs. use-based debates and advocates for a hybrid, "effective" zoning approach that prioritizes community outcomes.

Elliott’s writing remains refreshingly pragmatic. He acknowledges that zoning is often treated as a "set it and forget it" tool, but he argues for a more readily responsive regulatory system. He frames zoning as a governance system, not a wish list, emphasizing that it defines legal rights to use property and therefore needs to anticipate ongoing change, especially in built-out places. One way to achieve this is through administrative flexibility for redevelopment such as allowing staff to approve small, justified deviations to standards like setbacks or parking for constrained sites.

As the subtitle suggests, Elliott expands significantly on how zoning can either hinder or help the housing crisis, providing nuanced examples. He also addresses zoning’s exclusionary roots and how to use a tool "designed to exclude" to create more inclusive outcomes. Last, he integrates environmental sustainability as a core pillar of modern zoning, reflecting how far the zoning conversation has moved since publishing his first book.

The book is written for those on the front lines of zoning who need to balance legal defensibility with creative community design. If Elliott’s first book was a wake-up call to the industry, "An Even Better Way to Zone" is the blueprint for modern redevelopment and infill. It is a testament to Elliott’s ability to listen to all sides of the development world and use his experience to address the needs of changing cities.