HOW ZONING SHAPES COMMUNITIES

THE GOOD, BAD AND HOPEFUL ASPECTS 

OF THE CENTURY-OLD TOOL THAT DETERMINES

EVERYTHING ABOUT THE PLACES WE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY

Jason Jordan, the American Planning Association’s (APA) public affairs director, said planners favor zoning code reform and streamlining the process to create housing. Legislative policy shifts at the state level are a response to project-by-project local zoning cases that cause delays and impose difficult political hurdles on developments that could deliver affordable housing.

“As economic growth has rebounded post pandemic, there is an even more acute problem when it comes to workforce housing, starting housing, senior housing,” Jordan said. 

“In too many places, we have processes, codes and regulations that are barriers to the supplies we need. 

We are now seeing reform that is removing things imbedded in codes that are barriers to housing. 

That means reducing minimum lot sizes and on-site parking requirements. It also means adding tools such as ADUs.”