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Do land use regulations stifle residential development? Evidence from California cities

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  • Jackson, Kristoffer

Abstract

This paper estimates the extent to which the supply of new housing is restricted by land use regulations using a panel of California cities from 1970–1995. While land use regulation is found to significantly reduce residential development, estimates from fixed effects regressions are about 50–75% smaller than those from pooled regressions. Using the two-way fixed effects model, the implementation of an additional regulation is found to reduce residential permits by an average of 4%, which comes through reductions in both multifamily and single-family permits. Of the regulations measured, those categorized as zoning and general controls have the strongest effects. The partial effects of individual regulations show that while some significantly reduce development, others have a large positive impact.

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  • Jackson, Kristoffer, 2016. "Do land use regulations stifle residential development? Evidence from California cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 45-56.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:91:y:2016:i:c:p:45-56
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2015.11.004
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    4. Han, Wenjing & Zhang, Xiaoling & Zheng, Xian, 2020. "Land use regulation and urban land value: Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Molloy, Raven & Nathanson, Charles G. & Paciorek, Andrew, 2022. "Housing supply and affordability: Evidence from rents, housing consumption and household location," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    6. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2016. "How Uncertain Are Economic Policies? Evidence from a survey on Japanese firms," Policy Discussion Papers 16008, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    7. Gyourko, Joseph & Hartley, Jonathan S. & Krimmel, Jacob, 2021. "The local residential land use regulatory environment across U.S. housing markets: Evidence from a new Wharton index," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    8. Andrii Parkhomenko, 2018. "The Rise of Housing Supply Regulation in the US: Local Causes and Aggregate Implications," 2018 Meeting Papers 275, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. Yuming Fu & Song Shi, 2022. "Barriers to urban spatial development: Evidence from the 2010–2011 Christchurch earthquakes," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 218-245, January.
    10. Feng Yuan & Weiye Xiao & Yehua Dennis Wei, 2023. "Heterogeneous mechanisms of urban land price in China: a perspective of natural restrictions and strategic supply," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Anenberg, Elliot & Kung, Edward, 2020. "Can more housing supply solve the affordability crisis? Evidence from a neighborhood choice model," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. Kulka. Amrita & Sood, Aradhya & Chiumenti, Nicholas, 2022. "How to Increase Housing A ordability? Understanding Local Deterrents to Building Multifamily Housing," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 635, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    13. Ying Fan & Charles Ka Yui Leung & Zan Yang, 2022. "Financial conditions, local competition, and local market leaders: The case of real estate developers," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 131-193, May.
    14. Nicholas Chiumenti & Amrita Kulka & Aradhya Sood, 2022. "How to Increase Housing Affordability: Understanding Local Deterrents to Building Multifamily Housing," Working Papers 22-10, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    15. Sebastian Eichhorn & David Pehlke, 2022. "Unintended effects of regional planning in Germany," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 933-950, June.
    16. Daniel Garcia & Raven S. Molloy, 2023. "Can Measurement Error Explain Slow Productivity Growth in Construction?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-052, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    17. Daniel Shoag & Stan Veuger, 2019. "Do land use restrictions increase restaurant quality and diversity?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 435-451, June.
    18. Sviatlana Engerstam & Abukar Warsame & Mats Wilhelmsson, 2023. "Exploring the Effects of Municipal Land and Building Policies on Apartment Size in New Residential Construction in Sweden," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-25, April.
    19. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2016. "How uncertain are economic policies? New evidence from a firm survey," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 114-122.
    20. Chatman, Daniel G. PhD & Barbour, Elisa PhD & Kerzhner, Tamara & Manville, Michael PhD & Reid, Carolina PhD, 2023. "Policies to Improve Transportation Sustainability, Accessibility, and Housing Affordability in the State of California," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt03z7t8r1, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    21. Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy & Gail Pacheco & Kade Sorensen, 2021. "The effect of upzoning on house prices and redevelopment premiums in Auckland, New Zealand," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(5), pages 959-976, April.
    22. Jackson, Kristoffer (Kip), 2018. "Regulation, land constraints, and California’s boom and bust," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 130-147.
    23. Raven S. Molloy & Charles G. Nathanson & Andrew D. Paciorek, 2020. "Housing Supply and Affordability: Evidence from Rents, Housing Consumption and Household Location," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-044, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    24. Michael Manville & Michael Lens & Paavo Monkkonen, 2022. "Zoning and affordability: A reply to Rodríguez-Pose and Storper," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(1), pages 36-58, January.
    25. Gabbe, C.J. & Kevane, Michael & Sundstrom, William A., 2021. "The effects of an “urban village” planning and zoning strategy in San Jose, California," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Land use regulation; Zoning; Housing supply; Housing markets; California;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets
    • R52 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Land Use and Other Regulations
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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