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Under the (Neighbor)Hood: Understanding Interactions Among Zoning Regulations

Amrita Kulka¹; Aradhya Sood²; Nicholas Chiumenti³

¹ University of Warwick · ² University of Toronto · ³ USDA

Abstract We study how various zoning regulations combine to affect housing supply, prices, and rents of single- and multifamily homes using novel lot-level zoning data from Greater Boston and a cross-sectional boundary discontinuity design at regulation boundaries. Looser density restrictions, alone or with other less restrictive regulations, are most effective in increasing supply and reducing per-housing-unit rents and prices. We theoretically and empirically show that restrictive zoning regulations shift housing stock towards larger units, increasing prices per housing unit. Counterfactuals imply that a recent Massachusetts law increasing building density near transit can reduce long-run rents and prices, particularly in suburbs.

DOI

10.1162/rest.a.1736

Pages

1-45

Language

en

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