There is something happening in many North American cities right now. We are starting to question the supremacy of zoning for only single-family homes. This past summer, the state of Oregon passed policy requiring cities of 25,000 people or more to allow duplexes, triplexes, and… Read More
We are in West Virginia now, where the only kind of housing that we have come across is — not surprisingly — low-density, detached, and single-family. Indeed, approximately 75% of the residential land across the entire US is estimated to be zoned for detached single-family… Read More
The Seattle Times has an article up about “widespread single-family zoning” that will feel familiar to many here in Toronto who, I know, are having similar conversations about the amount of land dedicated to low-density housing. The article, by Mike Rosenberg, estimates that 49% of all… Read More
Recently we’ve been talking about California’s Proposition 13 and how it may be creating a disincentive for longtime homeowners to move. They’re enjoying below market property taxes, and so they stay put, even if they may have too much house. But this concept of “overhousing” isn’t… Read More
I just stumbled upon an interview with Christopher Hawthorne (architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times) talking about a “third Los Angeles.” His argument is that the first Los Angeles ran from about 1880 to World War II, and was characterized by a form of… Read More
We talk a lot about the greenbelt here in Toronto. Some argue that it’s squeezing the housing market and driving up prices. But what about the yellowbelt? (Credit to Gil Meslin for the term.) Here is a land use map of Toronto: The yellow areas… Read More
I have a new favorite blog that I think you might all enjoy as well. It’s called BT | A | Works and it is the “architectural and urban research and development division” of Bing Thom Architects in Vancouver. I think it’s it’s important to have… Read More
In 2009, Vancouver created policy and legalized laneway homes. (If you’re not up on laneway housing, click here. I’ve written too much about this topic.) Since then, the number of laneway homes built in Vancouver has steadily increased to the point where roughly 350 new… Read More
Since 2009 when the U.S. economy started to recover, housing starts (i.e. new residential construction) have favored multifamily buildings over single family housing. Apartment/condominium construction has grown 3 times faster according to the U.S. Census Bureau (via Bloomberg). A lot of this multifamily construction is… Read More
The Old Urbanist (Charlie Gardner) recently published an interesting post talking about the origins of American zoning using the work of Professor Sonia Hirt and her new book, Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation. One of the central themes… Read More
