Exploring Residential Choices Across American Urban Areas
In many U.S. cities, zoning policies that favor single-family homes may limit the availability of affordable housing options such as townhomes, duplexes, and apartments. This is according to a series of data visualizations by The New York Times, which sheds light on the issue of affordable housing for low-income families in American cities.
The data visualizations reveal that a significant portion of residential land in U.S. cities is zoned for single-family homes, effectively banning townhomes, duplexes, and apartments. This trend is evident in cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, where 84 percent of its residential land is zoned as single-family housing.
This zoning policy can contribute to the maintenance of racial and economic segregation. It makes it less likely for working-class families to live next to affluent ones in U.S. cities. The data visualizations illustrate the extent to which U.S. cities zone their residential land for single-family homes, highlighting the potential consequences on racial and economic segregation.
However, not all U.S. cities follow this trend. Cities like Portland, Minneapolis, and many parts of California have reformed their restrictive single-family zoning to boost the availability of multifamily housing. These cities allow a higher share of residential areas for multifamily housing compared to Charlotte, typically permitting greater density, mixed-use development, and fewer single-family-only zones.
The data visualizations by The New York Times also show the impact of zoning policies on affordable housing for low-income families in U.S. cities. They provide a valuable resource for understanding the complex relationship between zoning policies and the availability of affordable housing, as well as the potential impact on racial and economic segregation in U.S. cities.
