Title: Why is zoning important
Headings: Why is zoning important
Why is zoning important
Content: Even if that doesn't occur, suppose the zoning ordinance (law) itself isn't very well crafted, or that conditions in society have changed and the ordinance didn't change with the times. Then zoning can have unintended consequences and actually prevent economic development, flexible provisions for affordable housing, and other things that are good for your community. So what are the alternatives to zoning? The new one arising from the architectural community is called form-based code, and as the name implies, it relies on regulating building placement and building characteristics rather than the activity that is going to happen inside the building. Another alternative is simply to rely on private deed restrictions. Houston is the largest American city not to employ zoning as its primary land use control, although it has taken the unusual step of making some such restrictions enforceable by the city. A deed restriction means that a property owner, such as the person who owns the land before it is subdivided, makes binding restrictions on future owners of the land. So a builder of a residential subdivision could prohibit any future owners from commercial development, for instance. Judging by the frequency with which this website receives requests for information about how to change deed restrictions, not all future owners are happy with this system, let's just say. But it's an alternative.