Do restrictive zoning laws harm affordable housing in major cities?
I've lived in downtown Minneapolis for eight years, and our city's zoning rules still make it illegal to build anything taller than three stories on most blocks. That's not a housing preference—it's a deliberate cap that keeps rents high and forces working families to commute from exurbs. If we relaxed single-family zoning near transit lines, we could build modest apartment buildings without destroying a neighborhood's character. Are restrictive zoning laws in major cities doing more harm than good for affordable housing?