Title: Zoning and Land Use Planning | Urban Regeneration
Headings: Zoning and Land Use Planning
Zoning and Land Use Planning
Evolution of zoning regulations in Ahmedabad, India

Content: How can zoning be used as a tool for stimulating private sector participation in urban regeneration? In addition to the three main categories (residential, commercial, manufacturing), the zoning toolkit includes complementary rules that address specific types of development, as well as the design and quality of public spaces. Some initiatives allow for the modification of underlying regulations when developing large sites, whereas others fine-tune those same regulations to address lower-density areas or the particular challenges and opportunities of development projects on the waterfront. Urban regeneration projects are usually developed on large parcels of land that span several zoning districts and overlays. In order to allow for a better site planning exercise and relationship between buildings and open spaces, the local government may ease the baseline zoning regulation to allow for a more consistent site planning across all lots and blocks. In addition, to stimulate private sector interest in development, the government can allow for the transfer and merger of development rights. Alternatively, it can fine-tune other regulations to allow for higher density development in exchange for some form of a public good, such as privately financed public spaces or inclusionary housing. In this case, the zoning regulation is amended to allow for more density in exchange for privately financed public space or affordable housing units within a housing complex (see chapter 1). The push for more affordable housing has led to calls for inclusionary zoning, which is seen as appealing because developers pay for it, and it produces economic integration. However, affordable housing units created by inclusionary zoning require expensive subsidies (Barro 2014).