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<br /> <br />market and land-use regulations in each of <br />the regions. Interviewees were asked to dis' <br />cuss the housing market and zoning practices <br />in those jurisdictions where the quantitative <br />analysis indicated that barriers to multifamily <br />housing may exist. <br />Regulatory analysis. The project team <br />gathered zoning and development codes from <br />several cities and counties within each region <br />that the quantitative analysis and interviews <br />had suggested might offer additional insights <br />on barriers to multifamily housing. The regula. <br />tory analysis considers the allowed uses, den. <br />sities, and required setbacks in both single. <br />family and multifamily residential zones, <br />development fees and processes, and, if <br />available, buildable land inventories to seek <br />evidence of zoning barriers. <br /> <br />FINDINGS <br />Because of data limitations, all measures <br />reported here are considered "indicators." While <br />the census data are collected for each of the six <br />study areas in a relatively uniform manner, the <br />precision and definitions of GIS data vary exten' <br />sively between study areas. For this reason, com. <br />parisons within study areas are more reliable <br />than comparisons across study areas. <br />Table 1 on page 4 presents the five sets of <br />indicators for each of the study areas. These <br />were computed using data from the U.s. Census <br />and from GIS data collected at the local level. <br />These indicators were computed for each juris. <br />diction in each study area; the aggregate of <br />jurisdictions in each study area is presented. <br />The first set of indicators measures levels <br />and changes in housing prices, housing rents, <br />and household incomes. Housing affordability is <br />captured by the ratio of housing prices and rents <br />to incomes. Detailed analysis of housing afford. <br /> <br />ability is beyond the scope of this article, but for <br />the study, evidence of barriers to multifamily, <br />high-density housing is of greatest interest in <br />jurisdictions where housing is least affordable. <br />The second set of indicators provides infor- <br />marion on existing housing stocks in 2000, <br />housing production rates from 1990,to 2000, <br />and relative shares of single-family and multi- <br />family units. Barriers to high-density, multifamily <br />housing can exist in any community, but for this <br />study, barriers to multifamily development are of <br />greatest interest in growing communities. Of par- <br /> <br />BecaUSE of data limitations, <br /> <br />ail measures reported here <br /> <br />are considered "indicators." <br /> <br />, . . comparisons within study <br />areas are more reliable than <br /> <br />comparisons across <br />study areas. <br /> <br />ticular interest, for example, are jurisdictions <br />where the rate of housing development is high <br />but the existing proportion and growth in the <br />proportion of multifamily housing is low. <br />The third set of indicators characterizes <br />existing zoning regulations measured in acres. <br />Because the size of jurisdictions varies exten. <br />sively, the most revealing indicators are <br />expressed as ratios. "Total zoned residential <br />acres divided by total population," for example, <br />ca ptures the total acres zoned for residential <br />use for each resident. "Zoned residential acres" <br />divided by total acres represents the share of <br />land zoned for residential use. "Acres zoned for <br />high-density use" divided by total acres zoned <br />for residential use captures the share of residen- <br /> <br />tialland zoned for high-density use. These indi- <br />cators offer quantitative measures ofthe relative <br />extent to which barriers to multifamily, high-den- <br />sity development could be the result of low,pro. <br />portions of land zoned for such use. <br />The fourth set of indicators characterizes <br />existing zoning regulations measured in housing <br />units. Zoned housing units are measured as <br />acres zoned ror residential use times the maxi. <br />mum allowed units per acre. Once again, ratios <br />are most telling. Capacity for new housing devel. <br />opment, for example, is captured by the ratio of <br />housing units allowed by zoning relative to exist- <br />ing housing units. Regulatory capacity for high- <br />density housing is captured by the ratio of hous- <br />ing units zoned for high-density development <br />relative to total housing units allowed by zoning. <br />. These indicators offer quantitative measures of <br />the extent to which barriers to multifamily, high- <br />density housing could be the result of low pro- <br />portions of units zoned for such use. <br />The fifth set of indicators characterizes <br />existing zoning regulation measured in density <br />for land in all density categories and for land <br />in specific density categories. These indicators <br />of density offer quantitative measures or the <br />extent to which high-density, multifamily <br />development could be the result of constraints <br />on development density. <br />The section that follows presents indica. <br />tors for jurisdictions in each study area. The <br />intent of presenting these indicators is not to <br />identify specific jurisdictions where zoning <br />represents a potential barrier to high-density, <br />multifamily housing. Instead the intent is to <br />analyze the problem in a new and direct <br />approach, illustrate how various indicators <br />can be used to identify and monitor potential <br />barriers and create the foundation for a <br />regional, state, and federal policy response. <br /> <br />ZONINGPRACTiCE 7.07 <br />AMERICAN PL4NNING ASSOCIATION I page 3 <br />139 <br />