For decades, zoning has been used as a tool to segregate and exclude. It has contributed to some of the biggest problems that communities across America face today: people can’t afford to buy homes (let alone rent), there’s an over-reliance on single-family-only housing options, and our sprawling communities are harming people’s health and the environment—not to mention local economies and city budgets.
But zoning doesn’t have to be this way. When applied correctly, zoning can unlock economic, social, and health benefits for all communities. It can encourage mixed-use development and diverse housing options to create thriving, well-connected places. And when the tools are shared with communities, the zoning process can and should bring in more voices to ensure that decisions made about the built environment reflect what’s best for the folks who are already living there.
That’s why I am so proud to announce the launch of the Center for Zoning Solutions (CZS), which will bring zoning out of the past and support communities to adopt policies that address the challenges of today.
The housing crisis continues to be one of the most pressing issues of our time. However, if we continue to build housing in the way we have in the past, with little regard for proximity to everyday destinations, we will fail to address this crisis in a way that supports public health, economic growth, and equitable outcomes for the full community. At CZS, we call for more housing in the right places, using mixed-use development and a range of housing types to create thriving, well-connected communities.
Zoning regulations set in the past have hurt our local Main Streets and made new housing difficult or impossible to build. They’ve helped create a country where more than 80 percent of large metropolitan areas were more segregated in 2019 than they were in 1990. They’ve contributed to an environment where, if you show me your zip code, I can tell you how long you’re likely to live.
Large-scale change is needed, and we can’t do it alone. CZS will support a people-centered movement for better zoning practices so that advocates and change-makers at the local, state, and federal levels have the resources they need to help our communities thrive.
Building upon 25 years of thought leadership on zoning and land use at Smart Growth America, CZS will meet communities where they are and equip them with the tools, training, and research they need to unlock the positive impacts of zoning.
I hope you’ll join our movement to implement equitable land use policies that support people to live, work, and thrive, no matter where they call home.
Click here to let us know how you’d like to get involved.
In partnership,
Toccarra Nicole Thomas