To most people, zoning and land-use regulations might conjure up little more than images of late-night City Council meetings full of gadflies and minutiae. But these laws go a long way toward determining some fundamental aspects of life: what American neighborhoods look like, who gets to live where and what schools their children attend.
And when zoning laws get out of hand, economists say, the damage to the American economy and society can be profound.
— the New York Times
"Studies have shown that laws aimed at things like “maintaining neighborhood character” or limiting how many unrelated people can live together in the same house contribute to racial segregation and deeper class disparities. They also exacerbate inequality by restricting the housing supply in places where demand is greatest."
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5 Comments
If you live in Boulder why the fuck would you want it to become a congested and crowded shit hole? It's residents are there to avoid congestion. Growth can also lead to economic and racial segregation. See Brooklyn yards and the many other pro-growth and gentrifying developments. In fact, growth and limited growth in the name of preservation are for the well off. I have more sympathy for the guy living in some small pristine town who wants to keep it that way than some billionaire developer who wants to build high rise condos in a gentrifying area pushing out residents or in a low density area destroying whatever character it has with cheap stucco boxes. Both imo are aggressive top down strategies for and by the wealthy. Growth should not be planned or prevented...let things happen organically
Horror ... It is necessary to something to do with it ... maybe teleportation ...
@jla-x How do you suggest communities allow growth to happen "organically"? In my estimation growth happens when the wealthy (i.e. developers) see an opportunity to invest and capitalize on interest or energy in an area.
Developers are parasites. Governments work to facilitate them.
Good point up top, pointing to the simplistic tone of not only blog posts but the larger discourse as well.
In many places, growth (and its partner, densification) == that oh-so-demonic force, gentrification.
So, if were not supposed to limit growth AND we're not supposed to develop in old neighborhoods, what's left? Maybe the new Space Force can help colonize a planet or two.
Larger point: stop with the blanket rhetoric of "always do this, but never do that." Context is important, and good solutions will look different from place to place.
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