An Introduction to Zoning

Zoning may seem boring, but it dictates what can and can't be built in your city. I go through the basics of the zoning code (zoning ordinance), describe the pros and cons, and tell you how you can influence changes to your community's zoning code.

For more information:

Photo credits:
Chris Brown on Flickr
City of Toronto
Form Based Codes Institute
Gary J. Wood on Flickr
Mike Mozart on Flickr
Paul Sableman on Flickr
State of California

[moisesromo]

I was never interested in zoning until I found out I owned an illegal triplex, in which I also lived. I had to fight the city, with the help of the neighborhood association. One man in the zoning department was very helpful. Now my triplex is no longer illegal but they also revised their zoning code to allow more density. Thank you for these videos

[JermaineSam]

I prefer mixed zone areas. It's awesome to walk to all the places for services you need. Instead of driving a car outside of your neighborhood just to get to your nearest grocery store. I live in LA and I am so close to ditching my car and living in an area where I can truly live and walk.

[jaredbowhay-pringle]

The obsession with separating commercial and residential areas in some US cities is ridiculous and only lends itself to many downtown areas becoming bleak no-go areas at night or during weekends.

[Calikid]

This is why majority of US cities aren't walk-able. I think zoning should be mixed, an apartment right next to a business right next to a school.

[Dongonzales]

Its very intersting that mixed zoning is so uncommon in the united states. Exclusive zoning is very rare in germany (or at least in the cities and towns). Residential zones often allow shops that provide everyday necessities, such as bakeries, small shops, hairdressers and so on. Doctors and law offices are also really common in my neighborhood. I live in a relatively low density residential neighborhood with lots of detached houses and lare yards in berlin but still have like 5 supermarkets within walking distance. I cant imagine having to take the car everywhere

[NDUWUISI]

Where has this channel been all my life?!

[christianseehausen]

Check out the way Japan does zoning sometime. It's handled at the national level, not locally. Furthermore, for the most part, each more impactful usage still *permits* all the lower-impact usages to occur within. For example, it's totally okay to build any type of housing you want in a heavy commercial zone, but vice versa may not be permitted. This is in direct contrast to the United States, where zoning usually allows only one type of usage, and that's all.

[crazyassailant]

Have you thought about doing a video analyzing cities with less zoning regulations, such as Houston, and their effect on city development? I think that would be highly interesting.

[valerianus]

In Germany, the most common zoning type in every city is the mixed type, because it allows and ensures the mix of residental and commercial usages for a better urban live.

[davidbuchananmba]

Thank you for this zoning breakdown. I am a residential realtor moving toward more commercial properties. Just discovered you YouTube. Love all so far.

[calsavestheworld]

BTW, your videos are very helpful to me as a public policy student. My school, Ryerson, is super crappy and these videos are much more practical and clear. Thanks very much for making them.

[shadeblackwolf]

Zoning exists in europe too. In the netherlands we use zoning. "Residential" allows not just housing but also non-disruptive commercial, like most shops, offices that don't need new parking, and independent work from home companies. Commerial zones tend to allow offices or even homes above the shops. Even industrial can allow housing depending on it's nature. To recap simply. Zoning defines a primary use but secondary uses as long as they don't provide issues with the primary use or suffer risks from the primary use tend to be allowed.

[gacherumburu]

"Not just bikes" brought me here❣️
Great content! 👍👌

[darthutah]

Maybe some zoning is common sense such as keeping factories from being too close to residential development but you get a bunch of codes which impede the free market such as minimum parking requirements, view planes (I get that you want to show off your beautiful landmarks but do we really need to limit the height of buildings just so that people can see a park?), and minimum housing sizes.

In my book, suburban communities can segregate the use of buildings but downtown areas should be mixed use development.

[TrainfanJanathan]

I like to design cities in my train simulator. When I do, I usually have a simple system I follow.
Each block in the downtown area is a mixed zone that allows commercial and residential space. That way, if you wanted to, you could live near your work place. However, the residential areas in downtown are usually dense and comprising of mainly high-rise buildings. In the center of the downtown area is a transportation hub that services a subway, a tram and a bus line. The intercity trains will only stop at the downtown zones of each city. The subway stops at each zone in a city and the tram stops at each street. The residential zones will comprise mainly of small-, medium-, and large-sized houses. It will also have schools, colleges and universities. Also allowed in these zones are certain industrial buildings, but they can't produce smoke or harmful chemicals. Finally, there's an industrial zone that allows smoke-producing factories such as power stations and oil refineries. The airport is usually located far from the residential areas because I take into consideration whether or not the residents would be okay with hearing airplanes taking off and landing.

[leila]

Thank you so much for this video! It taught me everything I needed to know. And I am using it for a paper for my Community and regional planning class!

[idettecharlie]

This is not boring and full of active elctronic thinking and keeps you moving on zoning. learning is full of energy.

[adamsmailes]

The UK uses a more case-by-case system of planning permission. If I wanted to build anything on any bit of land I own, it would be considered based on how it affects the area. This means there is significantly more mixed-use areas.

[CrashForce]

lol it's so weird to see photos of my city in videos like these.... at 1:32, the picture representing C-3 is not just an average picture of my city but those buildings are only a few mins away from where I live

[tommeier]

"Large Distances between zones", the picture you show its just the city park of Berlin