Urban sprawl is beginning to receive a technical analysis that threatens its existence. It is the very foundation of the so-called “American Dream” — a single house on a single lot in a neighbourhood of single homes on single lots. This lowest form of housing density, protected by zoning, also stands accused as the underpinning of systemic, persistent racism and poverty in America.
These days, low density zoning is being actively argued as a major roadblock to affordable housing. Easing the single lot/single home zoning will allow increases to neighbourhood density that, arguably at least, will lead to more housing and lower home prices. A counter-argument, including supporting studies, suggests the connection between upzoning1 and lower home prices cannot so easily be made,2 at least in the shorter term.
For those who subscribe to the New York Times, or have a free internet view available, here’s an article that looks the American Dream in the eye — using mapping software that provides visual insight to the densification of American cities. Read more in the New York Times: Cities Start to Question an American Ideal: A House With a Yard on Every Lot
