Evaluating the Economic Impact of Planning Controls in the United Kingdom: Some Implications for Housing

This paper explores some implications for the housing market of the operation of the land use planning system in the United Kingdom, drawing out the relevance of the methodology for other forms of land use regulation. In contrast to the American zoning system, the U.K. system ensures enough land is released to meet foreseeable housing needs by national allocation. However, the U.K. system is implemented and mediated locally in response to political and other pressures. Neo-classical comparative statics combined with a more behavioral approach enables us to examine the interface between three related sub-markets in a rapidly growing region.