Zoned in the USA
by Sonia Hirt · first published 2014
8mentions
4recommended by
4HN commenters
2016–2023first – last mentioned
100% recommend
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If you have an interest, the most comprehensive book I'm aware of is "Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation" by Sonia Hirt. Cornell University Press. 2014. ISBN 978-0-8014-5305-2. She's the one quoted in the LA Times article: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-19/single-fam...…
on “Zoning laws are no longer in effect in much of the Bay Area” ↗…course, the issue is not zoning laws, but bad zoning laws. European zoning laws are mostly concerned with actual urban planning. US zoning laws are focused on maintaining property values. Read e.g. "Zoned in the USA"[1] for a nice introduction to the topic. [1]http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=8014010017822...
on “Are Your Taxes Paying for the Cost of Your Street?” ↗…that most journeys are of short duration and not too difficult to complete. The problem in the US is, in no small part, due to zoning. I've been making my way through this: http://amzn.to/2tkSbsH - "Zoned in the USA" And the detailed look at how other countries do things is interesting - they're certainly no "libertopia", but far more typologies of housing are allowed, as well as commercial uses in primarily residential…
on “Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?” ↗Vancouver used to be the city with the highest proportion of single family dwelling zoning in North America. It was the example of SFH zoning in "Zoned in the USA", a very good book on the history of zoning in North America.
on “Vancouver Zoning Map” ↗That book is awesome - a super deep dive into the nuances of the legalities and economics of zoning. The guy has even visited a number of sites cited in important court cases. I also like "Zoned in the USA" for its comparisons with other countries, particularly in Europe, which - to my way of looking at things - seem to get some things right that are very strange in the US. Here's a bunch of other articles…
on “Should we build lots more housing in San Francisco?” ↗…for it. Also, developers make money whatever kind of market-rate construction they're doing, in a decent market. If you're interested in the subject, some good takes on it are the books I list here (Zoned in the USA and Zoning Rules!): https://bendyimby.com/2017/06/12/yimby-reading/ Or, if you want to get a very real sense, the next time some apartments get proposed in your town, go to the public hearings and listen…
on “Walkable Cities Enjoy More Freedom” ↗…it was important enough to push one way instead of just letting things sort themselves out, as they've always done? I haven't read it yet, but this book might be insightful: http://amzn.to/2dQutwR ( Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation ) Other recommendations would be welcome. I'm tremendously interested in this issue. Edit: I'll add this book, too: "Zoning Rules!: The…
on “To end the affordable housing crisis, Washington needs to legalize Main Street” ↗"Zoned in the USA" describes the history of zoning in Canada and the USA, which accords with your view. James C. Scott's "Seeing Like a State" includes the example of razing neighborhoods (in Paris) as you describe.
on “Reading Hayek in Holland” ↗