Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World

“Key to the City” is a book about how zoning can be reformed so it facilitates the things urbanists value in cities, from density and mixed uses to cycling and walkability. It was written by someone who rewrote a city’s zoning code to do these things.

Sara C. Bronin is an architect, land-use attorney and college professor who was the chair of the Hartford, Conn. planning and zoning commission for seven years.

The big ideas for Urban Atlanta:

1. If done right, zoning changes can send a powerful signal to residents, future residents, businesses and developers that this part of the city knows where it wants to go and has a plan for getting there.
2. Zoning reforms are necessary for lively, growing places but not sufficient. They must be followed by other changes, from ending parking mandates and changing lot-size requirements to incorporating form-based codes so new construction blends with older buildings.
3. Along the way, we should seek simpler codes that speed up the building approval process.
4. The best zoning takes into consideration not just private property—what can be done with private homes or businesses—but public property as well. This way, we can match private improvements with public investments.
5. Zoning reform is difficult. In Urban Atlanta, it is probably best to begin in areas that want and need to change. This would allow other places to see the benefits of better zoning before they begin their own reform efforts.