Eight in 10 Americans live in a city, and zoning determines their daily experience of life in ways that few realize. Sara Bronin, an architect, lawyer, academic and historical preservation expert, has written a book, Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, to raise awareness of the essential role of zoning in making cities healthy, sustainable and enjoyable places to live. “By and large, people think of zoning as an often-bewildering set of rules enshrined in inscrutable maps and regulations,” Bronin writes. She grew up in Houston, the only large city in the country without zoning, but became a national expert, including contributing to legal reference books on the subject. “The paradox of zoning — the tragedy of zoning — is that it often starts out in a hopeful attempt to improve our cities and the lives we live in them,” Bronin says in her book. “Then, all too often it fails; it even does the opposite.” In a conversation with Governing, she offers examples of “zoning for good,” and the need for more people to understand how zoning reform can improve communities.
Source: Governing
