Zoning Reform Is Needed Today to Combat the Ongoing Impacts of Yesterday's Redlining
Redlining’s Legacy in Evanston
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Redlining was the practice that involved marking historically Black neighborhoods on city maps with red and then denying housing investments in the marked areas. This and other exclusionary practices supported racial segregation and disinvestment in housing. When the practice was outlawed 60 years ago by the Fair Housing Act, it was replaced with other exclusionary practices, including zoning, that are replicating some of the impacts of redlining on communities today.
The shape and location of Evanston's current 5th Ward is remarkably similar to Evanston’s redlined neighborhood from the 1930’s (the pink area on the map). Today, the 5th Ward still has the highest concentration of low-income and Black people in the City. |
What is Zoning and Why Does It Matter?
Zoning is a tool used by governments to control the physical development of land, density, dimensions, parking, and the kinds of uses allowed for individual properties. Zoning can be used to prevent harm to residents—by keeping dangerous uses (like gas stations and certain types of manufacturing) away from places where people are living.
It is also used to create neighborhoods with different levels of density (number of residents allowed per acre), commercial activity, and other characteristics. A positive impact of zoning is to provide a municipality with different types of neighborhoods to choose from.
A negative impact is that zoning has become a tool to separate and segregate different groups of people from each other, primarily by creating rules that support creation of higher-cost housing and excluding the people who cannot afford that housing.
It is also used to create neighborhoods with different levels of density (number of residents allowed per acre), commercial activity, and other characteristics. A positive impact of zoning is to provide a municipality with different types of neighborhoods to choose from.
A negative impact is that zoning has become a tool to separate and segregate different groups of people from each other, primarily by creating rules that support creation of higher-cost housing and excluding the people who cannot afford that housing.
Key Elements of Zoning Reform
Throughout the country, zoning reform is beginning to chip away at zoning restrictions that favor high-income people while excluding people with low incomes. The American Planning Association’s Equity in Zoning Planning Guide includes a comprehensive list of zoning reform measures.
Here is a high-level view of some of the measures they recommend that are most pertinent to Evanston:
Allow Single- and Multi-Family Housing in Every Zoning District.
Building multiple stand-alone, single-family houses is generally more expensive than building the same number of units in one building. Because the building costs are higher, the costs to buy or rent single-family homes are also higher, making single-family homes prohibitively expensive for many families. When a neighborhood only allows single-family homes, the zoning decreases the housing choices available and thereby excludes people with lower incomes. Evanston’s zoning map includes large swaths of land that only allow single-family homes.
The APA recommends zoning any districts so that they are “limited to only single-household detached dwellings when that will limit housing opportunities for historically disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.” (APA, p. 17)
Eliminate Laws Defining Who Can Live with Whom.
Many towns have laws that only allow up to a certain number of people who are not related (as defined in the zoning code) from living together in one unit. Evanston has such a law, limiting unrelated residents to 3 or fewer. These laws prohibit people from sharing homes as a way to reduce housing costs.
The APA recommends that, if the zoning code places a limit on how many unrelated persons can live together, "the limit be no lower than the number of related persons that would be permitted in the same size residential home.” (APA, p. 23) The APA also recommends replacing “zoning references to ‘family’ with a definition of ‘household’ that includes all living arrangements that function as a household living unit or define residential units without reference to a family or household.” (APA, p. 23)
Permit Greater Flexibility in the Physical Requirements for New Buildings
As in many other municipalities, Evanston has many zoning rules that limit building height, require large lot sizes and large yards on those lots, and impose other requirements that limit how many units of housing can be built on a particular piece of land. Such requirements and limitations also limit how affordable the units can be—the lower the number of units that are built on a piece of land, the higher the cost of each unit.
The APA recommends that municipalities “reduce or remove limits on single-household minimum lot size requirements for different types of housing and eliminate minimum dwelling size and [other]…standards that effectively require construction of more expensive homes that are less affordable to historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, p. 19)
Require Equitable Representation in Decision-Making Processes
Many municipalities, including Evanston, have few rules that require inclusion of community members from “historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, p. 35) Additionally, when there is opportunity for public input into zoning decisions and a requirement to notify those affected, most municipalities, including Evanston, notify building owners but not renters. The end result is that zoning decisions are made without input from those most likely to be negatively affected by the lack of affordable housing—and without knowledge of their needs and concerns.
The APA recommends that “those framing, writing, and/or reviewing the zoning rules should reflect the demographic composition of the community and should include representatives from historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, pp35 - 36) Additionally, the APA has a variety of recommendations for increasing opportunities for including input from a broader range of residents who could potentially be affected by zoning decisions. (APA, pp. 38 - 41)
Here is a high-level view of some of the measures they recommend that are most pertinent to Evanston:
Allow Single- and Multi-Family Housing in Every Zoning District.
Building multiple stand-alone, single-family houses is generally more expensive than building the same number of units in one building. Because the building costs are higher, the costs to buy or rent single-family homes are also higher, making single-family homes prohibitively expensive for many families. When a neighborhood only allows single-family homes, the zoning decreases the housing choices available and thereby excludes people with lower incomes. Evanston’s zoning map includes large swaths of land that only allow single-family homes.
The APA recommends zoning any districts so that they are “limited to only single-household detached dwellings when that will limit housing opportunities for historically disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.” (APA, p. 17)
Eliminate Laws Defining Who Can Live with Whom.
Many towns have laws that only allow up to a certain number of people who are not related (as defined in the zoning code) from living together in one unit. Evanston has such a law, limiting unrelated residents to 3 or fewer. These laws prohibit people from sharing homes as a way to reduce housing costs.
The APA recommends that, if the zoning code places a limit on how many unrelated persons can live together, "the limit be no lower than the number of related persons that would be permitted in the same size residential home.” (APA, p. 23) The APA also recommends replacing “zoning references to ‘family’ with a definition of ‘household’ that includes all living arrangements that function as a household living unit or define residential units without reference to a family or household.” (APA, p. 23)
Permit Greater Flexibility in the Physical Requirements for New Buildings
As in many other municipalities, Evanston has many zoning rules that limit building height, require large lot sizes and large yards on those lots, and impose other requirements that limit how many units of housing can be built on a particular piece of land. Such requirements and limitations also limit how affordable the units can be—the lower the number of units that are built on a piece of land, the higher the cost of each unit.
The APA recommends that municipalities “reduce or remove limits on single-household minimum lot size requirements for different types of housing and eliminate minimum dwelling size and [other]…standards that effectively require construction of more expensive homes that are less affordable to historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, p. 19)
Require Equitable Representation in Decision-Making Processes
Many municipalities, including Evanston, have few rules that require inclusion of community members from “historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, p. 35) Additionally, when there is opportunity for public input into zoning decisions and a requirement to notify those affected, most municipalities, including Evanston, notify building owners but not renters. The end result is that zoning decisions are made without input from those most likely to be negatively affected by the lack of affordable housing—and without knowledge of their needs and concerns.
The APA recommends that “those framing, writing, and/or reviewing the zoning rules should reflect the demographic composition of the community and should include representatives from historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.” (APA, pp35 - 36) Additionally, the APA has a variety of recommendations for increasing opportunities for including input from a broader range of residents who could potentially be affected by zoning decisions. (APA, pp. 38 - 41)
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