256 pages
6 x 9
20 illustrations
What if scrapping one flawed policy could bring US cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development?
It’s time for America to move beyond zoning, argues city planner M. Nolan Gray in Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. With lively explanations and stories, Gray shows why zoning abolition is a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities.
The arbitrary lines of zoning maps across the country have come to dictate where Americans may live and work, forcing cities into a pattern of growth that is segregated and sprawling.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Reform is in the air, with cities and states across the country critically reevaluating zoning. In cities as diverse as Minneapolis, Fayetteville, and Hartford, the key pillars of zoning are under fire, with apartment bans being scrapped, minimum lot sizes dropping, and off-street parking requirements disappearing altogether. Some American cities—including Houston, America’s fourth-largest city—already make land-use planning work without zoning.
In Arbitrary Lines, Gray lays the groundwork for this ambitious cause by clearing up common confusions and myths about how American cities regulate growth and examining the major contemporary critiques of zoning. Gray sets out some of the efforts currently underway to reform zoning and charts how land-use regulation might work in the post-zoning American city.
Despite mounting interest, no single book has pulled these threads together for a popular audience. In Arbitrary Lines, Gray fills this gap by showing how zoning has failed to address even our most basic concerns about urban growth over the past century, and how we can think about a new way of planning a more affordable, prosperous, equitable, and sustainable American city.
"A welcome manifesto for rethought urban spaces and their outliers, bringing social justice into the discussion."
Kirkus Reviews
"Arbitrary Lines is at once a primer and a manifesto, a highly readable introduction to zoning’s history and harms as well as a bracing call for a post-zoning city."
American Conservative
"Excellent new book."
Matt Yglesias, Slow Boring
"A provocation and a prescriptive treatise."
Common Edge
"Overall, Gray’s book is an excellent addition to the literature on housing and land-use regulations."
Adam Millsap, Forbes
"Powerfully argued book."
Orange County Register
"Arbitrary Lines is a comprehensive, well-grounded, and logically organized critique of the rigid and indeed arbitrary way in which Euclidean zoning structures our communities and shapes our lives. Elegantly written, concise, and witty, Gray’s book is a useful introduction to zoning’s history and current state...If you live outside the world of professional architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and planners and yet you wonder why our cities are built the way they are and if, further, you have time to read one book on the subject, Arbitrary Lines, with its engaging writing style, may well top your list."
Journal of the American Planning Association
"If I could get all members of my own city council to read one thing, it would be the chapters of Arbitrary Lines that convey vital messages about zoning’s failures and the potential for its reform."
Journal of Urban Affairs
"The major purpose of Nolan Gray's new book, Arbitrary Lines, is to show that by limiting housing construction, zoning increases rents by limiting housing supply, accelerates suburban sprawl by reducing density and pricing Americans out of walkable areas, and slows economic growth by making it expensive for Americans to move to prosperous areas. On each count, Gray makes a persuasive (to me) case."
Planetizen
"If you are interested in affordable housing, housing equity, environmental justice, reduction of carbon emissions, adequate public transit, or streets that are safe for walking and cycling, Arbitrary Lines is an excellent resource in understanding how American cities got the way they are and how they might be changed for the better."
Resilience
"Nolan Gray’s Arbitrary Lines could not have arrived at a better time, quenching the thirst of the American public’s desire to know more about zoning. It is an accessible introductory text for anyone who wants to understand zoning enough to have informed conversations about its adverse impacts on racial equity, the environment, housing affordability, and economic growth. Undoubtedly, the book has further mainstreamed zoning not just in policy debates but also in casual conversations."
Housing and Society
"Arbitrary Lines is a valuable contribution to the zoning literature and expands on ongoing debates and dialogues on zoning reform.…. Gray’s vibrant discussion of local examples, disputes, and misinterpretations about zoning makes it a wonderful read and leaves the reader with lingering thoughts on potential solutions."
Pennslyvania Geographer
"Nolan Gray has the insights of Jane Jacobs and the prose style of Mark Twain. In his aptly-titled new book, Arbitrary Lines, Gray argues that zoning in America is a disease masquerading as a cure. He also proposes a post-zoning style of planning for fair, sustainable, and livable cities."
Donald Shoup, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles; author of "The High Cost of Free Parking"
"In Arbitrary Lines, Nolan Gray wrote a compelling argument for urgently reforming the ‘stodgy rulebook’ that distorts the shape and decreases the welfare of American cities. In addition to his devastating critique of the status quo, Nolan suggests a practical path that would allow urban communities to get out of their current zoning straightjacket. This book is a must-read for all of us who are interested in more innovative and affordable cities."
Alain Bertaud, senior fellow at the Marron Institute of Urban Management and former principal urban planner at the World Bank
"In Arbitrary Lines, Gray provides a compelling case against the parochial zoning rules that have shaped Americans' lives, from our homes to our budgets to the work opportunities available to us. While the costs of zoning become clearer each year, few have questioned the paradigm of local policymakers determining the quantity and type of building that will be permitted on the private land in their jurisdictions. Gray steps in with a new way of thinking about urban land use and a road map for a future unconstrained by zoning."
Emily Hamilton, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Introduction
Part I
Chapter 1. Where Zoning Comes From
Land Use Before Zoning
What Changed?
1916
The Federal Push
Chapter 2. How Zoning Works
How Zoning Is Born
Decoding the City
Everything in Its Right Place
Don’t Be Dense
How Zoning Changes
Patching Up Zoning?
Part II
Chapter 3. Planning an Affordability Crisis
Zoned Out
Mandating Mansions
Housing Delayed Is Housing Denied
Why Did This Happen?
Chapter 4. The Wealth We Lost
How Cities Make Us Rich
Zoning for Stagnation
How Much Poorer Are We?
Chapter 5. Apartheid by Another Name
Zoning for Segregation
All Are Welcome, If You Can Afford It
The Bitter Fruits of Segregation
Chapter 6. Sprawl by Design
Zoning for Sprawl
Assume a Car
Fleeing Sustainability
Part III
Chapter 7. Toward a Less Bad Zoning
The Low-Hanging Fruit of Local Reform
Taming Local Control
Is There a Role for the Federal Government?
Turning Japanese
Chapter 8. The Case for Abolishing Zoning
Why Reform Isn’t Enough
Steelmanning Zoning
Meanwhile, Back in the Real World
Chapter 9. The Great Unzoned City
The Compromise That Saved Houston
How Cities Organize Themselves
Land-Use Regulation after Zoning
How to Abolish Zoning in Two Easy Steps
Chapter 10. Planning After Zoning
It’s the Externalities, Stupid!
Desegregating the Post-Zoning City
Reviving the Plan
Conclusion
Appendix: What Zoning Isn’t
Zoning Isn’t the Market
Zoning Isn’t the Only Kind of Land-Use Regulation
Zoning Isn’t Environmental Regulation
Zoning Isn’t Planning
Acknowledgments
Notes
Recommended Reading
Index
About the Author
Presented by Town Hall Seattle:
With exponential growth in the Seattle area, demand and costs for housing are high and availability is low. Affordable housing is difficult for so many to come by, and the region is feeling more than just growing pains; it’s in crisis. In Seattle, most residential areas are zoned for single-family homes, restricting the ability to increase housing density and provide more affordable housing options. Are there new housing solutions that can accommodate everyone?
As regions across the country grapple with how to solve the growing housing crisis, city planner M. Nolan Gray shares vital insight in his new book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. He contends that it’s time to move beyond zoning and abolish it, which could help U.S. cities address housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development.
But the approach is not without controversy. As discussion continues around loosening long-standing zoning rules, some residents worry that zoning changes will impact the “character” of neighborhoods, while others see the current zoning rules as an impediment to much-needed change.
Could our region benefit from a reimagined approach to single-family neighborhoods? Through explanations and stories, Gray shows why zoning abolition could help produce more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities.
M. Nolan Gray is a professional city planner and an expert in urban land-use regulation. He is currently completing a PhD in urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Gray previously worked on the front lines of zoning as a planner in New York City. He now serves as an affiliated scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he advises state and local policymakers on land-use policy. Gray is a contributor to Market Urbanism and a widely published author, with work appearing in outlets such as the Atlantic, Bloomberg CityLab, and the Guardian. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and is originally from Lexington, Kentucky.
Join author Nolan Gray for an evening of conversation and celebration of the launch of his book Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It.
Busboys and Poets, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 from 5-7pm
Light refreshments will be provided.
About the book: What if scrapping one flawed policy could bring U.S. cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development?
It’s time for America to destroy the arbitrary lines of zoning maps across the country, argues city planner and Mercatus Center Affiliated Scholar M. Nolan Gray in Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. With lively explanations and stories, Gray shows why zoning abolition is a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities.
These rules control many aspects of American life and work patterns, which in turn has forced cities into segregated and sprawling design. But, it doesn’t have to be this way, writes Gray. Many cities and states are embracing reforms, like Minneapolis, Fayetteville, Ark., and San Diego.
In Arbitrary Lines, Gray outlines why the thriving city is so essential for economic growth and advancement, how zoning has stymied us from the pursuit of such growth, and why such a regime should be overthrown. He lays out a blueprint for city planners on how to build the American cities of the future—without these arbitrary restrictions that so cripple us from maximizing our potential.
What if scrapping one flawed policy could bring U.S. cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation and car-dependent development? Zoning maps across the country have come to arbitrarily dictate where Americans may live and work, forcing cities into a pattern of growth that is segregated and sprawling. In Nolan Gray's new book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It, argues that it’s time for America to move beyond zoning as a necessary — if not sufficient — condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable and sustainable cities. Hear from the author as he lays the groundwork for this ambitious motion by clearing up common confusions and myths about how American cities regulate growth and examining the major contemporary critiques of zoning.
It’s time for America to move beyond zoning.
Join city planner M. Nolan Gray and Planetizen's editorial director James Brasuell for a conversation about zoning abolition. Gray argues that this is a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities. His new book is, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. Registrants are eligible for a discount on their copy of the book.
A Planetizen course with Gray is on the way. In the meantime, you can view Planetizen’s course catalog and receive a discounted subscription.
Webinar themes will include: an overview of zoning in its current state, how zoning has harmed Americans, and what zoning reform efforts are underway.
Author Nolan Gray will discuss his new book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. Urban designer and code expert Mary Madden will be the interviewer.
This webinar is available for 1 AICP continuing education credit if viewed live as well as 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
Join us for a virtual seminar led by M. Nolan Gray, a professional city planner, expert in urban land-use regulation, and Affiliated Scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
In his new book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It, Gray lays the groundwork for this ambitious cause by clearing up common confusions and myths about how American cities regulate growth and examining the major contemporary critiques of zoning.
In this discussion, Gray explains how zoning has failed to address even our most basic concerns about urban growth over the past century, and how we can think about a new way of planning a more affordable, prosperous, equitable, and sustainable American city.
Moderated by David Crummey, Vice President, Community Development Banking (Arizona), PNC, this event is in partnership with Island Press, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that shines a spotlight on crucial issues and focuses attention on sustainable solutions.
You can purchase Arbitrary Lines from the independently owned Changing Hands Bookstore.
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. AZ Time
In cities such as Minneapolis, MN, Fayetteville, NC, and Hartford, CT, key pillars of traditional zoning are being challenged with apartment bans being removed, minimum lot sizes dropping, and off-street parking requirements disappearing altogether.
Planner M. Nolan Gray argues that America needs to move beyond zoning to create more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable communities.
Join the Smart Growth Network on September 15 as Gray, the author of Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It, looks at local efforts to reform zoning and explains how land-use regulation might work in a post-zoning America. Participants of the live webinar are eligible for 1.5 AICP CM credits (live attendance required). To register, complete and submit the form at the link.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and magnified issues of urban inequality and environmental justice. Quarantine measures and the shut down of city centres have highlighted the extent to which urban land is dominated by road and car parking infrastructure. In many places, air quality has improved, nature has become more prominent and neighbours are starting to speak for the first time. This online lecture series organised by the Planning Society at Queen's University Belfast, will explore, through comparative practice, how planning can re-imagine our cities to enhance well-being through creating more vibrant, sustainable and biodiverse places.
City planner, M. Nolan Gray argues that it’s time to abolish zoning. In Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It, Gray lays the groundwork for this ambitious cause by clearing up common confusions and myths about how American cities regulate growth and examining the major contemporary critiques of zoning. During this presentation, Gray will set up some of the efforts currently underway to reform zoning and chart how land-use regulation might work in the post-zoning American city.
M. Nolan Gray is a professional city planner and an expert in urban land-use regulation. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Gray previously worked on the front lines of zoning as a planner in New York City. He now serves as an Affiliated Scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he advises state and local policymakers on land-use policy. Gray is a contributor to Market Urbanism and a widely published author, with work appearing in outlets such as The Atlantic, Bloomberg Citylab, and The Guardian. He lives in Los Angeles, California and is originally from Lexington, Kentucky.
Seaside Prize Weekend takes place from February 23-25th. Featuring William Fulton, author of Place and Prosperity, and Nolan Gray, author of Arbitrary Lines.
At the Seaside Prize, visionaries convene in Seaside Florida to honor the best of the best in their field. Attendees enjoy a weekend of Symposium, Continuing Education Courses, and Receptions and more; culminating in the Awards Dinner on Saturday Evening. The Seaside Prize is a weekend of fun, food and design, as we celebrate visionaries and thought leaders who help to shape our lives through the communities they design. The 2022 Seaside Prize celebrates over 40 years of Seaside and the people who sparked a movement.
Learn from cross-sector experts about opportunities related to updating zoning in communities across the United States. The webinar will, 1) highlight connections among traditional zoning and land use challenges cities and towns are grappling with today, 2) make the case for updating zoning policies to support health, social equity, climate action, and resilience—with a focus on aligning zoning with community priorities and real estate development objectives, and 3) share promising examples of zoning policy updates from across the United States. This webinar will be co-hosted by Smart Growth America.
We know you get fired up by the stories and issues you encounter at Strong Towns. But it’s not always clear what to do next. The work of making your neighborhood stronger can often feel lonely, slow, and even discouraging. But you don’t have to stay stuck in that feeling. We know that effective advocates don’t operate on their own.
That’s why we’re excited to team up with the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) to host a new annual event: the Strong Towns National Gathering, to be held the day before CNU’s annual Congress begins. Come for the Strong Towns Gathering and stay for CNU (with a discounted ticket price)—or just drop in for our Gathering.
Let us introduce you to your allies and kindred spirits from across the country. The Gathering will include inspiring speakers, hands-on workshops, and lots of opportunities to meet fellow advocates.
We hope you’ll return home excited, emboldened, and equipped—knowing you are an indispensable part of an energetic, unstoppable movement.
"What if scrapping one flawed policy could bring US cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development?
It’s time for America to move beyond zoning, argues city planner M. Nolan Gray in Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. With lively explanations and stories, Gray shows why zoning abolition is a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities."
M. Nolan Gray is a professional city planner and an expert in urban land-use regulation. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Gray previously worked on the front lines of zoning as a planner in New York City. He now serves as an Affiliated Scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he advises state and local policymakers on land-use policy. Gray is a contributor to Market Urbanism and a widely published author, with work appearing in outlets such as The Atlantic, Bloomberg Citylab, and The Guardian. He lives in Los Angeles, California and is originally from Lexington, Kentucky.
This event is brought to you by the Sun Coast Section of APA Florida. 1.5 CM credits. The first 25 people to register will receive a signed copy of M. Nolan Gray's Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It.
This event will be hosted via GoTo Webinar. We will register you via the information you've provided on Eventbrite prior to the event. Questions? Email suncoastfapa@gmail.com.
Come to our first author event of this year’s Books & Big Ideas! We’ll have author M. Nolan Gray joining us virtually on the big screen to talk about his book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City. In his book, Nolan posits that it’s time for America to move beyond zoning. The arbitrary lines of zoning maps across the country have come to dictate where Americans may live and work, forcing cities into a pattern of growth that is segregated and sprawling. With lively explanations and stories, Gray shows why zoning abolition is a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities.
Note: Registrants will also receive a Zoom link, if they prefer to watch from home.
Read chapter 5 below or download it here.
Download the annotated table of contents here or read it below.