Overzoning

Overzoning is when land is zoned (i.e. allocated and planned) for too high an intensity of use, leading to problems such as development of the land being infeasible (due to high land prices or expectations of owners) or inappropriately distributed. 

The concept apparently first arose in Los Angeles in the mid-1920s, only a few years after citywide zoning was established. 

 

1926 issue in Los Angeles

Weiss-Overzoning1.jpg

Weiss-Overzoning2.jpg

”Overzoning” discussion in Weiss, 2002

 

 

 

Charles Marohn / StrongTowns - incremental development

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/8/30/podcast-a-conversation-about-market-urbanism

 

References

• Weiss, Marc A. The Rise of the Community Builders: The American Real Estate Industry and Urban Land Planning. 2002. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXjddnZYyLYC&lpg=PA102&ots=JPsLhCihFE&dq=overzoning"&pg=PA103#v=onepage&q="overzoning"&f=false