Zoned in the USA

The episode explores how zoning in the United States is fundamentally different from that in other industrialized countries and how this difference has shaped the American landscape through the lens of a conversation with Sonia Hirt about her book, Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation. 

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Hirt argues that American zoning, unlike its European counterparts, is a uniquely American cultural institution rooted in the early 20th century. Its primary goal was to protect property values and promote the ideal of the single-family detached home. This has led to a system that favors low-density, segregated land uses, where residential, commercial, and industrial areas are strictly separated. This contrasts with more integrated, mixed-use zoning found in many European cities.

The episode examines the implications of this distinctly American approach, including the creation of sprawling suburbs, a greater level of social segregation, and an over-reliance on cars. It challenges the common assumption that American zoning was simply imported from Europe and shows how it evolved to reflect a specific American moral temperament and a culture of individualism.