'General Welfare' for the Next Generation

The "health, safety, and general welfare" of our communities are poorly served by the outcomes of the status quo.

1 minute read

May 19, 2015, 7:00 AM PDT

By Hazel Borys


"Lately I’ve been thinking about 'health, safety, and general welfare' — the basis by which zoning is typically legitimized and measured — and wondering just how great a disconnect needs to form between our purported values and our land use regulations before we admit that something’s not working."

Scott Doyon notes that he isn't a zoning expert, but offers up his "view from the front lines, where people have certain aspirations for their communities and zoning exists as the tool that either enables or prevents those aspirations from materializing."

"There’s a pretty wide chasm between me being annoyed and the legal practice of land use coming to better reflect the reality of how people are increasingly choosing (or needing) to live. At what point will the challenges be made and new precedents set?"

Monday, May 18, 2015 in PlaceShakers

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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

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