Title: Zoning: The Nemesis of Housing Affordability – AIER
Headings: Zoning: The Nemesis of Housing Affordability
Zoning: The Nemesis of Housing Affordability
Understanding Zoning Regulations
The Negative Economic Effects of Zoning
Socially Destructive Effects of Zoning
Current Solutions: Half Measures at Best
Give the Free Market a Chance
José Niño

Content: Zoning regulations are a type of land-use regulation that are under the purview of city or county ordinances. Through zoning ordinances, local governments determine how property is used within their confines. These laws limit the commercial use of land in order to segregate commercial venues from residential neighborhoods. Additionally, zoning laws may also set regulatory standards for buildings and the land area surrounding them, which may include such as size, dimension, and scale limitations. These standards are established with the aim of promoting urban growth in a reasonable and sustainable fashion. Needless to say, the zoning approval process is no simple matter. Developers and builders must jump through substantial bureaucratic hoops for planning commissions to finally approve their projects. Over the past few decades, the number of zoning regulations has increased in major cities across the country, and they have become a regulatory fixture that all developers must face when planning out their projects. The Negative Economic Effects of Zoning
Historically speaking, comprehensive zoning laws did not come until existence until the 20th century. Prior to the comprehensive-zoning era, property rights were still respected and the courts mediated disputes between landowners.