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Article
Putting Exclusionary Zoning in Its Place: Affordable Housing and Geographical Scale
Fordham Urban Law Journal
  • Christopher Serkin
  • Leslie Wellington
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Keywords
  • Property values,
  • Lower-income households,
  • Affordable housing
Disciplines
Abstract

The term “exclusionary zoning” typically describes a particular phenomenon: suburban large-lot zoning that reduces the supply of developable land and drives up housing prices. But exclusionary zoning in its modern form also occurs both within the urban core and region-wide. Exclusionary zoning at the sub-local and regional scales results in property values that fully capitalize the benefits of living in higher-wage regions, and the value of local public goods (like high-quality schools). Lower-income households then cannot meaningfully access those advantages, even if every municipality accommodates its fair share of regional need. The long-standing focus of exclusionary zoning on the content of local ordinances, instead of on these broader exclusionary dynamics, has defined the problem of exclusionary zoning too narrowly. We remedy that deficiency in our contribution to the Fordham Urban Law Journal’s Fortieth Anniversary issue.

Citation Information
Christopher Serkin and Leslie Wellington. "Putting Exclusionary Zoning in Its Place: Affordable Housing and Geographical Scale" Fordham Urban Law Journal Vol. 40 (2013) p. 1667 ISSN: 0199-4646
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher-serkin2/32/