An Even Better Way to Zone: Achieving More Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Communities

Zoning is the tool that everyone loves to hate. It may alsobe the most important and least understood process affecting howUS communities shape the lives of their residents.While almost every community comprehensive plan calls for more affordable,equitable, and sustainable development, zoning is often blamed for preventing that from happening.As US communities facean unprecedented housing affordability crisis, a long history of excluding the poor and disadvantagedfrom key opportunities, and a continuing climate disaster, zoning needs to change - a lot. In An Even Better Way to Zone, planning expert Donald L.Elliott explainshow outdated assumptions about development andunnecessary barriers in our current zoning regulations havecontributed to development patterns that are not sustainable,affordable, orequitable to historically disadvantaged populations.It identifies what types of changes to zoning rules, procedures, andmaps could improve outcomes ineach of those areas.Importantly, it als