Charlotte is working on a total rewrite of its zoning ordinances. And it sounds like it’s going to be a long process – another 2-3 years. It’s a process I’ll be watching with interest.
But it’s also gotten me thinking about what should be the right approach to zoning. I’m a big fan of both liberty and property rights, so my gut tells me that people should be able to build pretty much whatever they want for whatever use on their own property. And yet, virtually every city has some sort of zoning. Are there practical solutions?
Well, a good place to start might be at least getting our understanding of the origins of modern zoning sorted out. And this piece from Randal O’Toole in 2010 is helpful. It’s worth a read in its entirety, but here’s a taste.
Contrary to Carson’s claim, zoning was not invented by developers trying to impose their lifestyle preferences on unsuspecting Americans. The idea that realtors and developers could somehow force people to buy houses they didn’t want is refuted by hundreds or thousands of real-estate developments that failed financially because they did not offer what people wanted. Unlike planners who write prescriptive zoning codes, developers who risk their own money are going to make every effort to build things that people want because if they don’t, the developers themselves will be the losers.
Instead, zoning was invented by homeowners in existing developments who wanted to insure that their neighborhoods would maintain some degree of stability. When zoning was first applied, it was used almost exclusively in areas that were already developed. Those original zones merely reaffirmed the development that was already there. Single-family neighborhoods were zoned for single-family homes; apartments for multi-family; industrial for industry; and so forth.
Now, if Charlotte planners will just think about these things…
