tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7394091530012769761.post7805661829048242459..comments2024-03-27T04:02:47.206-04:00Comments on Old Urbanist: Sonia Hirt on the Origins of American ZoningCharlie Gardnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07317335121565650040noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7394091530012769761.post-9182810881704888742015-02-13T21:27:21.443-05:002015-02-13T21:27:21.443-05:00Yes, in fact, Edward Murray Bassett, the father of...Yes, in fact, Edward Murray Bassett, the father of American zoning, said as much in his publications on the matter. Single-family large lot zoning was a means of subsidizing the presence of the wealthy within the boundaries of the city. Without it, it was presumed that they would depart to other jurisdictions (rather than, say, living in luxurious apartment buildings as they actually did in New York City). Charlie Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07317335121565650040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7394091530012769761.post-50243285581220653642015-01-28T23:34:39.875-05:002015-01-28T23:34:39.875-05:00I've been toying with a theory about SFR zonin...I've been toying with a theory about SFR zoning, namely that it's basically an affordable housing program for the rich. Without SFR zoning, they wouldn't be able to use valuable urban land for their mansions and such, because the poor would be able to collectively outbid them, because while individually they may not have much money, collectively they can pay quite a lot of rent in an apartment building, which induces a developer to tear down the mansion and replace it with apartments.<br />And to the extent that zoning isn't about keeping mansions affordable for millionaires, it's about forcibly upholding middle-class notions of propriety, like lawns and setbacks and making sure the house isn't used for anything so vulgar as making money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com