Zoning codes have become the most significant regulatory power of local government, determining how citizens experience their cities. Yet zoning remains invisible. In Key to the City, legal scholar and architect Sara C. Bronin reveals the impact of zoning-for good and ill-in cities across the US, from Hartford to Baltimore and Las Vegas to Chicago. Outdated zoning codes have maintained racial segregation, prioritised cars over people and enabled great ecological harm. As Bronin argues, once we recognise the power of zoning, we can harness it to instead create walkable and vibrant communities, resist the monotonous effects of suburban sprawl, integrate design elements that inspire delight and ensure that everyone has access to affordable housing, public transportation and healthy food. Key to the City demystifies the invisible force shaping our communities and puts forward a practical and energising vision for how we can reimagine them.

About the Author
Sara C. Bronin is an architect, attorney, and policymaker, and professor at Cornell University. Born and raised in Houston (the only large city in the U.S. without zoning), she divides her time between Hartford, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

Reviews
"As America's cities face the acute challenges of unaffordable housing, underutilized land, and declining neighborhood prospects, more city leaders are recognizing that zoning policies are part of the problem but also seeing how zoning reforms can be part of the solution. Sara C. Bronin astutely explains all sides of the dialogue. Better yet, she presents creative pathways to constructive outcomes for urban residents and for city futures. " -- Henry Cisneros, Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of San Antonio
"Zoning laws dictate the shape of cities far more than the designs of any architect. Far too often they have been less a useful tool than a straitjacket, forcing cities to develop according to patterns that no longer make sense. In Key to the City, Sara C. Bronin argues that the solution is not to abolish zoning but to reimagine it, showing us how we can rewrite our zoning codes in the hope of using them to bring about the civilized cities that we deserve." -- Paul Goldberger, author of Why Architecture Matters and Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School
"Sara C. Bronin has written a wise, illuminating survey that shows how land use policy rules everything around us. As an expert with a comprehensive grasp on both politics and history, she's the perfect guide to this complicated, controversial subject. " -- Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise and Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design



Book Information
ISBN 9780393881660
Author Sara C. Bronin
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 411g
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 160mm * 25mm