Zoning to Improve Health and Promote Equity

---

From its inception, the explicit intent of zoning was to promote healthy living conditions by physically separating housing from the harmful effects of heavy industrial or commercial uses. In retrospect, we now know that a rigid adherence to the ideal of separated uses has created sprawling development patterns and contributed to a rise in health disparities and chronic disease.

Development regulations govern all types of uses, but in terms of promoting health, regulations that affect the location, type, and design of housing are especially important. As the space where people spend a significant portion of their day, housing and the immediate environs have a significant influence on community health.

This issue of Zoning Practice discusses how communities can use zoning and other development regulations to promote healthy living environments. It highlights a number of potential regulatory changes in support of reducing health disparities by increasing affordable housing options and improving access to care.

---

Details