I love this articulation of how “local control” is being misappropriated, and that letting the city council pass majority votes should be what local control is!
If zoning were merely a tool to regulate nuisances--and it's reasonable to attribute this purpose to early 20th-c planners in the US--then they had an overbroad notion of nuisances. This essay was directed to abolishing the veto points, but this broader problem with zoning and permitting is downstream of an overbroad conception of nuisances. As much as I stress how local governments will need to save local governance, a federal substantive zoning law (is it legal under the Constitution?) would be an opportunity to limit zones in number and kind. States could do this, but it would be messier.
A hundred times yes! A majority of elected representatives should be allowed to decide in support of 'the 'greater good' City Staff and Planning Commissions should be able to make recommendations based on the best path to achieve priority goals. We can now allow more people to live in the more desirable areas - it's strange to think of that as new..
I love this articulation of how “local control” is being misappropriated, and that letting the city council pass majority votes should be what local control is!
feels like a win for housing and housing density in Texas cities.
Big win!
If zoning were merely a tool to regulate nuisances--and it's reasonable to attribute this purpose to early 20th-c planners in the US--then they had an overbroad notion of nuisances. This essay was directed to abolishing the veto points, but this broader problem with zoning and permitting is downstream of an overbroad conception of nuisances. As much as I stress how local governments will need to save local governance, a federal substantive zoning law (is it legal under the Constitution?) would be an opportunity to limit zones in number and kind. States could do this, but it would be messier.
You've said it beautifully, Ryan. This is a huge win, for housing AND for cities.
If this can happen in Texas if can happen in California and New York as well
A hundred times yes! A majority of elected representatives should be allowed to decide in support of 'the 'greater good' City Staff and Planning Commissions should be able to make recommendations based on the best path to achieve priority goals. We can now allow more people to live in the more desirable areas - it's strange to think of that as new..