An Invitation to Collaborate on a National Zoning Atlas

This invited commentary for the 2022 Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies symposium focuses on the need for better data about zoning. It offers insights into the state of zoning data, then discusses the mechanics of creating a national zoning atlas based on the methods used to create the Connecticut Zoning Atlas. The commentary articulates reasons we should invest collective effort into a national atlas. Finally, it invites academics, nonprofits, and governmental bodies to collaborate on zoning data research. A National Zoning Atlas. Why not?

This paper was presented as part of “Panel 5: How Is Digitalization Changing How Housing Is Planned, Reviewed, and Regulated?” at the symposium Bringing Digitalization Home: How Can Technology Address Housing Challenges?, hosted by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies in March 2022.