Lee Einsweiler recently wrote an edition of APA’s Zoning Practice titled Why Can’t We Make Zoning Simpler?
Zoning is one of the most important tools cities and counties have at their disposal to control the form and character of new development. The trouble is that many current zoning codes frustrate efforts to build projects that are consistent with the planned local vision for community growth and change. This includes impediments and barriers such as restrictive use lists, lot area and setback standards that do not match the underlying development pattern, density restrictions that create exclusionary communities, and onerous processes that do not improve the quality of development.
This edition of Zoning Practice discusses historical and ongoing efforts to simplify zoning. It presents guiding principles for rethinking reform efforts and highlights a series of promising techniques for simplification..
