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Why U.S. cities are making sweeping changes to residential zoning laws

Amy Scott and Daniel Shin Jul 15, 2019
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A view of San Francisco's Victorian houses as seen in 2014. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Why U.S. cities are making sweeping changes to residential zoning laws

Amy Scott and Daniel Shin Jul 15, 2019
A view of San Francisco's Victorian houses as seen in 2014. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

When you visualize the American Dream, chances are you’re seeing a detached, single-family house in there somewhere. In a lot of neighborhoods around the country, that’s all developers are allowed to build because of zoning regulations.

But as cities nationwide grapple with a housing shortage and the history of racial and class segregation, that is starting to change. Emily Badger, who wrote about the trend for the New York Times, recently spoke with Marketplace host Amy Scott about why and how cities are questioning single-family zoning laws.

Click the audio player above to hear the interview.

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