Infill: A YIMBY Podcast How Local Zoning Codes Shape Our World: A Conversation with Sara Bronin
9 snips
Apr 8, 2025 
Sara Bronin, an accomplished architect, attorney, and author of 'Key to the City,' joins to unravel the complexities of local zoning codes. They discuss how these codes impact housing affordability, environmental sustainability, and even nightlife. Bronin highlights the power of the National Zoning Atlas in transforming community planning, and the hidden effects of zoning on food systems and segregation. Their conversation also emphasizes the need for more equitable zoning practices to create abundant housing and healthier communities.
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Zoning Atlas Unlocks Transparency
- The National Zoning Atlas makes zoning laws transparent and comparable across regions.
- It reveals how much zoning restricts multifamily housing and encourages exclusionary practices.
Large Lot Minimums Mandate Sprawl
- Minimum lot size rules often require one-acre or larger lots across large regions.
- This mandates sprawl even in environmentally conscious areas, limiting dense housing options.
Culver City's Mixed Zoning Reality
- In Culver City, zoning allows apartments on 43% of land, unusually high for California.
- Yet, restrictions like FAR limit the size and quality of multifamily units that can be built.