Single-Family Zoning and Race

Evidence From the Twin Cities

Bibliographic Data

ID21633729
AuthorsSalim Furth (Mercatus Center, George Mason University, Arlington, VA, USA, corresponding author), MaryJo Webster (Star Tribune Company, Minneapolis, MN, USA)
Year2023
Volume33
Issue4
Pages821-843
Publication date2023-07-04
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHousing Policy Debate (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1051-1482 • E-ISSN: 2152-050X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10511482.2023.2186750
OpenAlexW4327944940
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited25

The city of Minneapolis recently changed its zoning to allow two- and three-family houses in formerly single-family zones, in part with the goal of furthering racial integration. To test whether this policy approach holds promise, we assemble digital zoning data covering the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area and quantify the relationship between different types of residential zoning and racial and ethnic shares of neighborhood populations. Controlling for neighborhood location, we find that a neighborhood zoned for middle housing, such as Minneapolis’ triplexes, has a non-White population share that is 14 percentage points higher than that of a single-family zoned neighborhood. A neighborhood zoned for multifamily housing has a non-White population share 21 percentage points higher. This is consistent with the argument that upzoning single-family zones to allow middle and multifamily housing can promote racial integration. Our method can be easily replicated in other regions as data become available

Archaeology · Demographic economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Ethnic group · Geography · Metropolitan area · Political science · Population · Regional science · Sociology · Twin cities · Zoning · Demography · Gender Studies · Housing Market and Economics · Law · Spatial and Panel Data Analysis · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access