Yale Law School Professor Robert Ellickson explores the detriments of current zoning practices and possible means for reform in his new book, “America’s Frozen Neighborhoods: The Abuse of Zoning.”
The book builds on an article Ellickson published in 2020 that provided "an empirical study of zoning practices in Silicon Valley, Greater New Haven, and Greater Austin," titled, "The Zoning Strait-Jacket: The Freezing of American Neighborhoods of Single-Family Houses."
Plus, Sara Bronin founded DesegregateCT in 2020, and helped develop the Connecticut Zoning Atlas. As Bronin explained in the article, "Zoning by a Thousand Cuts," the atlas is a "one-of-a-kind statewide data set" illuminating "the many hidden constraints on housing embedded in zoning codes" in Connecticut.
Bronin also discusses her efforts to create a national atlas at Cornell's Legal Constructs Lab, and how recent legislative reforms in Connecticut factor.
But first, how does a recent lawsuit filed against the town of Woodbridge fit into this larger conversation? Connecticut Public reporter Camila Vallejo and Sean Ghio with the Partnership for Strong Communities join us to discuss.
GUESTS:
- Camila Vallejo: Housing Reporter, Connecticut Public
- Sean Ghio: Policy Director, Partnership for Strong Communities
- Sara Bronin: Professor, Cornell University; Director, Legal Constructs Lab; Founder, DesegregateCT
- Robert Ellickson: Walter E. Meyer Professor Emeritus of Property and Urban Law, Yale Law School; Author, Frozen Neighborhoods: The Abuse of Zoning
Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
