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

Many states and cities are backing zoning reform that creates more housing options for a more diverse set of renters and buyers. 

Utah has linked housing reform to state infrastructure dollars, prioritizing funds to communities that are creating workforce housing.

“Several cities are creating a pathway to gentle density and more housing by offering pre-approved missing middle and ADU designs,” Jason Jordan, the American Planning Association’s (APA) public affairs director, said. 

“It makes it easier for small-scale and newer developers.

It prevents them from getting bogged down in design and approval process that can kill a project. 

It can encourage more minority developers to build smaller, infill projects, like missing middle housing.”

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

“If we know we need additional state and federal investment in tax credits to create housing, but we pour money into a broken system, we are destined to fail,” Jason Jordan, the American Planning Association’s (APA) public affairs director, said.

‘We set rules that make it very difficult to get things built. 

Almost everything requires a variance. Variances becomes very politicized through neighborhood concerns and political agendas.”

He noted that a lot of things on the books in city zoning codes remain from industrialization, which begot separation of uses and created car-dependent suburbs.

“The problem is that we have new sets of social and economic challenges that [old codes] don’t address.

Seniors want to age in place. 

We need walkable, transit-served, age-friendly communities. 

People are working more from home. 

They want neighborhood conveniences, not only single-family homes where they live and work.”

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

Communities must come together and create a vision of what kind of housing it wants to accommodate its workforce, young families, seniors and people with disabilities. 

Then regulatory systems must be reformed to remove things in the zoning code that are barriers to that vision coming true.

For instance, Jason Jordan, the American Planning Association’s (APA) public affairs director, said a defined code that allows developers to build by right is not giving the store away to developers.

It is simply defining what the community wants from development, then giving developers predictability by being able to build without a string of variances, hearings and votes.

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.”

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

Salim Furth, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, cited a 2023 Florida bill that “allows not just the conversion of existing structures but new multifamily construction in any commercial or industrial zone, as long as a large share of the new units are restricted to moderate-income residents. … 

The measure also allows new multifamily buildings in these zones to match the density of the jurisdiction’s densest zone and to match the height limit of any zone within a mile.”

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

Salim Furth, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, said adaptive re-use has worked in older, smaller mid-rise and high-rise buildings. 

But it will not work in office buildings with large floorplates (center units would have no windows) or single-story office park office buildings, which are too expensive to convert.

He said cities that are serious about affordable housing should buy older units to preserve existing workforce housing, and that the office apocalypse — many offices barely half full because of work from home after COVID that continues — can be addressed via zoning reform.

HONORED TO BE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER

AT ONE OF THE NATION’S LARGEST CONFERENCES FOR

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERIAL REALTORS

 

I will bring my expertise in planning, urban design and real estate development to a huge statewide conference in Florida this year.

I will speak to thousands gathered for the annual statewide convention of the largest trade association in America.

I will speak on Sustainability, Resiliency and how everyday people can promote planning and policy that supports climate adaptation in the Sunshine State.

I also unveil a world premiere of my work that proves Universal Design is Sustainability’s missing link – as it creates flexible, resilient, cost-effective and durable housing for multiple generations and all physical abilities.

More details to come and the August event takes place.