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Author Elliott, Donald L., 1957- author.

Title A better way to zone : ten principles to create more livable cities / Donald L. Elliott
Published Washington, DC : Island Press, [2008]

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Description 1 online resource : illustrations
Contents 1. A brief history of zoning : 'Euclidean' zoning ; Standard zoning and planning enabling acts ; Planned unit developments ; Performance zoning ; Form-based zoning ; The result: Euclidean hybrid zoning -- 2. Failed assumptions : A few general rules will do it ; Separate the uses ; Greenfield standards are better ; Variances will be rare ; Non-conformities will go away ; Zoning rules need to be static ; Zoning is a technical matter -- 3. Evolving land use drivers : The enormous market ; Tax limits ; Transportation systems ; Housing affordability ; NIMBYism -- 4. Governing well : Effectiveness ; Responsiveness ; Fairness ; Efficiency ; Understandability ; Predictable flexibility -- 5. The legal framework for change : Due process ; Regulatory 'takings' of property ; The First Amendment ; Equal protection ; Vested rights ; Vagueness ; Preemption by state and federal law -- 6. What have we learned? : Eight lessons ; Focusing on the process of zoning change -- 7. A better way to zone : More flexible uses ; The mixed-use middle ; Attainable housing ; Mature area standards ; Living with non-conformities ; Dynamic development standards ; Negotiated large developments ; Depoliticized final approvals ; Better webbing ; Scheduled maintenance ; What about the other good ideas -- 8. The way forward : Audit for specifics ; Prioritize for political will ; Draft for integration ; Illustrate how ; Adopt the possible
Summary Nearly all large American cities rely on zoning to regulate land use. According to Donald L. Elliott, however, zoning often discourages the very development that bigger cities need and want. In fact, Elliott thinks that zoning has become so complex that it is often dysfunctional and in desperate need of an overhaul. A Better Way to Zone explains precisely what has gone wrong and how it can be fixed. A Better Way to Zone explores the constitutional and legal framework of zoning, its evolution over the course of the twentieth century, the reasons behind major reform efforts of the past, and the adverse impacts of most current city zoning systems. To unravel what has gone wrong, Elliott identifies several assumptions behind early zoning that no longer hold true, four new land use drivers that have emerged since zoning began, and basic elements of good urban governance that are violated by prevailing forms of zoning. With insight and clarity, Elliott then identifies ten sound principles for change that would avoid these mistakes, produce more livable cities, and make zoning simpler to understand and use. He also proposes five practical steps to get started on the road to zoning reform. While recent discussion of zoning has focused on how cities should look, A Better Way to Zone does not follow that trend. Although New Urbanist tools, form-based zoning, and the SmartCode are making headlines both within and outside the planning profession, Elliott believes that each has limitations as a general approach to big city zoning. While all three trends include innovations that the profession badly needs, they are sometimes misapplied to situations where they do not work well. In contrast, A Better Way to Zone provides a vision of the future of zoning that is not tied to a particular picture of how cities should look, but is instead based on how cities should operate
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on August 25, 2020)
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
Subject Zoning law -- United States
Land use -- Law and legislation -- United States
LAW -- Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice.
Land use -- Law and legislation
Zoning law
Baurecht
Bauleitplanung
Flächennutzung
Planungsrecht
United States
USA
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2007050910
ISBN 9781610910552
1610910559