Land Use Zoning in America: The Case for Inclusionary Policy

Residential zoning code has been one of the most powerful forces in shaping the growth of modern American cities. By regulating which types of buildings can go where, zoning code has led to the creation of suburbs as we know them, with row after row of detached single-family homes. Indeed, the American city would look drastically different if it were not for the creation of zoning codes. But how did the institution that is American zoning come to exist? This essay will attempt to answer that question by exploring the early history of zoning, starting in the 1910s. It will also look at the impact of zoning on America’s poorest residents. Has the division of residential zones into mostly large lots with minimum home sizes excluded the poor from the suburbs? The correlation between zoning and economic exclusion has been studied, and a strong connection discovered. Given this, what can be done to remedy the problem? An alternative to current law, inclusionary zoning, has been explored and shows promise for fixing some of the problems that current zoning creates