Equitable Zoning Initiative

It is past time to acknowledge and challenge the assumptions underlying zoning.

“We recognize that zoning has been misused to perpetuate structural racial and economic inequality and injustice for over a century in America. Zoning can be a powerful and effective regulatory tool to advance equitable and just outcomes for communities. Through the work of this committee, we will develop assessments and readily implementable tools to achieve more equitable and just communities across the United States.”

— Sean S. Suder, Lead Principal/Founder, ZoneCo

What is equitable zoning?

Equity in zoning is the concept of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all people, regardless of their racial or economic background. This includes ensuring that zoning regulations do not unfairly restrict certain populations from accessing certain areas of a city or town, or limit access to affordable housing. Additionally, zoning should not be used to perpetuate existing racial or economic disparities. Equity in zoning can be accomplished by examining zoning regulations to ensure that they are fair and just, as well as allowing for a variety of housing types, such as multi-family units, and encouraging the development of affordable housing. Click here for more equitable zoning resources.

Why is equity in zoning important?

Equity in zoning means that everyone should get equal rights and opportunities, no matter their race or how much money they have. Zoning laws should not make it hard for some people to live in certain places or make it harder to find affordable housing. To make sure zoning is fair, zoning laws should be reviewed and revised and there should be different types of housing, like houses for more than one family, and places to find affordable housing.

ZoneCo recently launched a first-of-its-kind Zoning Equity Scorecard. This tool is available to any community with a zoning code. Contact us to learn more about how we can help assess the equity of your community’s zoning.

What can equitable zoning policies accomplish?

Equitable zoning is a concept that seeks to ensure that all people, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or economic status, have access to the same resources and opportunities in their communities. It is an important tool for creating a more equitable and just society.

Equitable zoning policies focus on creating a balance between residential and commercial development, providing access to public transportation, and ensuring that all neighborhoods have access to the same amenities. These policies also seek to ensure that all people have access to safe and affordable housing, regardless of their income level.

They can help to reduce segregation and inequality in communities. By ensuring that all neighborhoods have access to the same resources, zoning policies can help to create a more diverse and inclusive environment. This can help to reduce the disparities that exist between different racial and economic groups.

Equitable zoning policies can also help to create more vibrant and livable communities. By encouraging mixed-use development, zoning policies can help to create more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods. This can help to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and create more green spaces.

Finally, equitable zoning policies can help to create more economic opportunities for all people. By encouraging mixed-use development, zoning policies can help to create more jobs and economic opportunities in communities. This can help to reduce poverty and create a more equitable society.

In conclusion, equitable zoning is an important tool for creating a more equitable and just society. By encouraging mixed-use development, providing access to public transportation, and ensuring that all neighborhoods have access to the same amenities, equitable zoning policies can help to reduce segregation and inequality in communities and create more vibrant and livable communities.

How does inequitable zoning impact the cost of housing?

Zoning also has a significant impact on the availability of affordable housing. The primary purpose of zoning is to ensure that land is used in a way that is beneficial to the community. This includes providing adequate housing for all residents. Zoning regulations often limit the number of housing units that can be built in a given area, which can make it difficult to provide enough affordable housing. Additionally, zoning regulations often require that new housing developments meet certain standards, such as minimum square footage and lot size. These requirements can make it difficult for developers to build affordable housing that meets the needs of low-income families.

Zoning regulations can also limit the availability of affordable housing by preventing the development of multi-family dwellings. Multi-family dwellings are often more affordable than single-family homes, but zoning regulations often restrict their development. This can limit the availability of affordable housing options for low-income families. Finally, zoning regulations can also limit the availability of affordable housing by preventing the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

ADUs are small, secondary dwellings that are often used as rental units. They are often more affordable than traditional housing, but zoning regulations often restrict their development. This can limit the availability of affordable housing options for low-income families. In conclusion, zoning regulations can have a significant impact on the availability of affordable housing. Zoning regulations can limit the number of housing units that can be built in a given area, require that new housing developments meet certain standards, prevent the development of multi-family dwellings, and restrict the development of accessory dwelling units. These restrictions can make it difficult to provide enough affordable housing for lower-income persons.

What is ZoneCo doing to promote equity in zoning?

ZoneCo recently convened what we believe to be a first-of-its-kind advisory committee specifically formed to advise the firm on matters of racial, social and economic equity and justice as they relate to land use planning and zoning practices in cities across the U.S. 

Initiated by Lead Principal and attorney Sean Suder and Principal and city planner Jocelyn Gibson, the advisory committee is comprised of professionals highly regarded for their work on issues of racial, social and economic equity and justice issues. 

Past committee members include the following: 

  • Christie Angel, Former President and CEO, YWCA Columbus (Ohio); Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of External Affairs and Services to Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City of Columbus, Ohio

  • Bobby Boone, Founder and Chief Strategist of & Access, Washington, D.C.

  • Charles T. Brown, MPA, Senior Researcher, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center; Adjunct Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University

  • Jermaine R. Ruffin, Director of Development – West Region, City of Detroit (Michigan); Council Member, Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan; Host/Brand Owner of “The Streets are Planning” Podcast

  • Heather Worthington, MPA, Founder, Worthington Advisors, Former Director of Long Range Planning, City of Minneapolis (Minnesota)

The Equitable Zoning Advisory Committee recognizes and acknowledges that zoning has been misused since its inception to perpetuate inequitable outcomes for many minority populations as well as socially and economically disadvantaged populations.

The primary goals of the Equitable Zoning Advisory Committee are to:

  1. Expose the root assumptions of zoning by peeling back its complex layers, challenging the assumptions and rebuilding it as a tool to promote more equitable and just outcomes; and

  2. Establish more equitable access and agency around and more effectively connect issues of land use and zoning to the everyday experiences of historically marginalized people, in particular Black, Indigenous and people of color.

The Equitable Zoning Advisory Committee plays a key role in our understanding of equitable zoning.