Urban Institute Researchers Visualize Zoning Reforms Near Public Transit

From the Urban Institute:

For government leaders and residents to better understand how zoning changes would look in their communities, Urban Institute researchers have developed a new visual resource that demonstrates how various zoning reforms could increase housing production - specifically near public transportation.

Using data from the Puget Sound region (Seattle) to interactively display various zoning options, such as allowing duplexes on single-family parcels or expanding the size of allowed multi-family housing construction, this resource allows users to better visualize zoning's role in the housing shortage and understand what could happen with broader zoning restrictions across the country.

This resource builds upon a large body of research (with data from the Puget Sound region) where our experts have found that while transit investments could increase housing options, much of the land near transit stations is currently zoned to limit housing. Recently, the Washington state legislature approved a police that requires most cities in the region to allow two-to-six-unit buildings in residential zoning districts near transit.

With the data-driven resource, policymakers and housing advocates can demonstrate how re-zoning areas that currently restrict development can help address the affordable housing shortage, incentivize demand for public transit, and reduce pollution.

You can access the visual resource here, or delve deeper into the underlying data and coding via the project's Github here.