A new paper studies the impacts both of specific land use regulations and land use regulations in the aggregate.
"Yet another study in a long line of others provides evidence that land-use regulations restrict housing supply," according to Emily Hamilton. Specifically, a new paper authored by Kip Jackson at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency "identifies a correlation between land-use regulations in California cities and the growth rate for housing units."
Jackson's research, published in the Journal of Urban Economics, "finds that California zoning rules and other land-use restrictions not only reduce the growth rate of new housing stock, but a new regulation can actually be expected to reduce the existing stock of housing by 0.2% per year."
The article also explains how the paper's methodology produced findings that other studies haven't found. "Aggregate indexes of regulation across cities, such as the Wharton Residential Land Use Regulatory Index, can’t measure the changing effect that a rule has over time," for instance.
For more explanation of the new research, Kip Jackson writes his own blog post for the US Centre at the London School of Economics.
FULL STORY: Quantifying the effects of California zoning rules
Needed: Better Data on Local Zoning Regulations
It's hard to connect zoning to planning and development outcomes at a national level because very little data exists at that scale.
Boise Poised To Revise Zoning Code
The City of Boise is soliciting public input on its plan to revise its zoning code to permit a wider variety of housing options.
More Evidence Upzoning Alone Won't Boost Housing
Experts caution that to encourage significant new housing production, other zoning reforms that reduce costs and streamline permitting should accompany increased density requirements.
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.
New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.
‘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.
More Funds to Transform the Puente Hills Landfill into a Regional Park
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors just approved an additional $28 million to support the development of the Puente Hills Regional Park at the landfill site.
Denver Freeway Widening Plans on Hold
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s plan to widen the Interstate 25 freeway through Denver is one of a few plans to widen urban freeways under consideration in the United States.
Public Perceptions of Sprawl and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Urban density has a bad reputation.
Clarion Associates
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
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
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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.
