The Messy City Podcast A Conversation with Nolan Gray
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Sep 9, 2025 Nolan Gray, author of "Arbitrary Lines" and housing reform advocate, dives into the intricacies of zoning and urban planning. He highlights Houston's no-zoning approach as a radical alternative to traditional land use regulations, challenging long-held beliefs about zoning's necessity. Their conversation touches on the fears of deregulation, the historical context of zoning in America, and how outdated policies can contribute to housing crises. Gray emphasizes the potential for more democratic urban planning and the important role of community engagement in reform.
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Journey From Kentucky To Urban Planning
- Nolan Gray grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and moved to DC where he fell in love with urban living.
- He later studied planning at Rutgers, worked in NYC, and pursued a PhD at UCLA before joining California YIMBY.
Uniform Substance, Varied Practice
- Zoning rules across the U.S. are surprisingly uniform in substance despite regional narratives.
- Major variation shows up in whether rules operate ministerially or as discretionary permits and how much state involvement exists.
Zoning Is A Constructed Policy
- Zoning is a recent, top-down institutional design originating from the Standard Zoning Enabling Act in the 1920s.
- Federal and state actions entrenched zoning nationwide, creating the powerful status quo we have today.
