Bad zoning rules are supercharging America's affordable housing crisis
Cities across the country are struggling with skyrocketing home prices. As I have previously written, the problem is rooted in the collapse of home construction after the Great Recession — for over a decade, there were not nearly enough homes built to accommodate the growing population, and now many cities are suffering a dire housing shortage. What's worse, city governments are exacerbating the problem by catering policy to existing wealthy property owners.
For example, the Philadelphia city council recently voted unanimously to make its housing shortage worse by downzoning several neighborhoods along Girard Avenue. Some background: Girard Avenue is a key transit corridor in Philadelphia, connecting northern West Philadelphia to the neighborhoods north of Center City. It's also one of the few trolley lines that still has dedicated lanes along some of its route, though cars still often drive in them.
It is lunacy to be downzoning an area like this. Philly has finally started to grow again over the last decade or so, after six decades of shrinking, which has breathed new life into the city culture and economy. As Ryan Briggs reports at WHYY, the downzoning happened because existing local residents want to prevent the area from being redeveloped. "Too much density along the corridors impacts quality of life for the adjacent neighborhoods that are full of single-family homes and long-term residents with traffic and trash," a spokesperson for the council president told Briggs.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When cities grow, it necessarily means change. The downzoned region is not some beautiful historic monument — on the contrary, it has been rebuilt several times in previous decades and now contains several tacky strip malls and drive-through fast food restaurants. What Philly as a whole badly needs (like just about all American cities) is more housing with easy access to public transit. As for congestion, that can be solved with street upgrades to divorce trolleys and buses from car traffic, to keep transit speeds high so people don't need to drive and the roads can breathe.
It is critical to keep the supply of new housing — whether that is private development or social housing, owned by the city — running well ahead of population gain. Without that, new residents will tend to displace existing poorer residents. Raising new barriers to construction will only accelerate housing price increases and gentrification.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
It's not really about Biden's brain — unless it is
Talking Points Depending on who you ask, the renewed focus on the president's mental acuity is an election-year distraction, a legitimate point of concern, and sometimes both
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The politics of music: should political rallies use well-known songs?
Talking Point The Smiths star Johnny Marr is latest musician to object to use of his music at a Donald Trump rally
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Cop 28 verdict: are climate summits working?
Talking Point Global leaders are not fully committed to averting the climate crisis, say critics
By The Week Staff Published