Local governments "zone" their municipalities to control what kinds of buildings can be constructed in certain areas. Mixed-use zoning is a kind of zoning policy that aims to combine small local...
Local governments "zone" their municipalities to control what kinds of buildings can be constructed in certain areas. Mixed-use zoning is a kind of zoning policy that aims to combine small local businesses (on the ground floor) with residential units (on upper floors) in order to maximize available space, create more residential units per land area, prevent urban sprawl, improve walkability, and reduce reliance on expensive car-centric infrastructure. This design choice is natural for towns, especially along their main streets, and it's common in historic cities in Europe and Asia. However, restrictive zoning policies prevent mixed-use development from being implemented in more places.
This is a derivation from the American standard of highly distinct single-family residential zoning, low-density parking lot strip mall/commercial zoning, and multi-story skyscraper zoning. The "missing middle" is mid-rise mixed-use. American city planners made it illegal to build mixed-use structures in most areas during the 20th century as they separated family life from business in conjunction with white flight from dense urban areas toward low-density, automobile-oriented residential suburban developments.
Mixed-use zoning is sometimes criticized for effectively creating unaffordable housing for tenants. This is not really an issue with mixed-use itself, but rather a function of people's natural desire to live near things: demand for this kind of development is always high. For-profit developers therefore market new residential units as "luxury apartments" in new structures, seeking to extract additional returns. This choice on the part of developers can lead to the newest and most desirable structures in a city being inaccessible to low-income residents.
The city of Raleigh, North Carolina is making an effort to implement mixed-use zoning in a series of new constructions along New Bern Avenue, which has been designated by the city as a bus rapid transit corridor of the future. The city itself has purchased land along the avenue (much of which is vacant) and seeks to develop a large number of affordable housing units on top of local retail businesses. They also want to create necessary amenities, like medical clinics and daycares, that the neighborhood currently lacks. The choice to construct higher-density buildings around a transit corridor is called "transit-oriented development" and is important for the long-term health of our towns and cities. Officials want to submit a Request for Proposal to developers by 2024.
As I understand it, local development is generally out of the purview of the state. This land is owned by the city and it's typical for them to be able to auction off development rights. I suppose...
As I understand it, local development is generally out of the purview of the state. This land is owned by the city and it's typical for them to be able to auction off development rights. I suppose it's possible, but I would be surprised if the legislature did anything drastic like banning mixed-use zoning as a concept, considering it's one of the only styles of development which is both economically productive and requires a financially sustainable amount of infrastructure. It's not like the businesses are going to be state-owned.
Local governments "zone" their municipalities to control what kinds of buildings can be constructed in certain areas. Mixed-use zoning is a kind of zoning policy that aims to combine small local businesses (on the ground floor) with residential units (on upper floors) in order to maximize available space, create more residential units per land area, prevent urban sprawl, improve walkability, and reduce reliance on expensive car-centric infrastructure. This design choice is natural for towns, especially along their main streets, and it's common in historic cities in Europe and Asia. However, restrictive zoning policies prevent mixed-use development from being implemented in more places.
This is a derivation from the American standard of highly distinct single-family residential zoning, low-density
parking lotstrip mall/commercial zoning, and multi-story skyscraper zoning. The "missing middle" is mid-rise mixed-use. American city planners made it illegal to build mixed-use structures in most areas during the 20th century as they separated family life from business in conjunction with white flight from dense urban areas toward low-density, automobile-oriented residential suburban developments.Mixed-use zoning is sometimes criticized for effectively creating unaffordable housing for tenants. This is not really an issue with mixed-use itself, but rather a function of people's natural desire to live near things: demand for this kind of development is always high. For-profit developers therefore market new residential units as "luxury apartments" in new structures, seeking to extract additional returns. This choice on the part of developers can lead to the newest and most desirable structures in a city being inaccessible to low-income residents.
The city of Raleigh, North Carolina is making an effort to implement mixed-use zoning in a series of new constructions along New Bern Avenue, which has been designated by the city as a bus rapid transit corridor of the future. The city itself has purchased land along the avenue (much of which is vacant) and seeks to develop a large number of affordable housing units on top of local retail businesses. They also want to create necessary amenities, like medical clinics and daycares, that the neighborhood currently lacks. The choice to construct higher-density buildings around a transit corridor is called "transit-oriented development" and is important for the long-term health of our towns and cities. Officials want to submit a Request for Proposal to developers by 2024.
As I understand it, local development is generally out of the purview of the state. This land is owned by the city and it's typical for them to be able to auction off development rights. I suppose it's possible, but I would be surprised if the legislature did anything drastic like banning mixed-use zoning as a concept, considering it's one of the only styles of development which is both economically productive and requires a financially sustainable amount of infrastructure. It's not like the businesses are going to be state-owned.