Work Zone: Regulatory Reform in Action

Models, toolkits, and best practices are essential to zoning reform--but what does it REALLY look like on the ground? 

The Michigan Association of Planning published the “Zoning Reform Toolkit: 15 Tools to Expand Housing Choice + Supply” in 2022, funded by the Michigan State Housing and Development Authority. Each of the 15 recommended zoning reforms includes an explanation of what it is, how it is used, and how it affects housing. Our goal was to get the Toolkit into the hands of planners and other professionals to fuel the collective effort to address Michigan’s housing shortage, estimated to be at least 75,000 units shy of the current need and growing.

In 2023, MAP surveyed our members and RRC Communities to find out whether and how the tools in the Toolkit are, in fact, helping to expand housing choice and supply in Michigan communities. Our short questionnaire asked about the Zoning Reform Toolkit, about zoning reform generally, and specifically about use of the Toolkit to inform housing decisions. This series explores what we heard from the 100+ Michigan communities who participated. It is part of a new MSHDA-supported project to help communities share strategies and learn from each other, called “Zoning Reform Stories and Studies."

This page will hold regular features and updates from the "Stories and Studies" project, as well as occasional other resources aimed at supporting planners and planning officials in the quest to guardsafe the health, safety, and welfare of our communities.

Stories

08/14/2024 Survey says! Reducing land consumption with FORM tools receives consistent support The suite of form-based tools is aimed at allowing smaller (more affordable), denser (supporting more commerce and amenities), and potentially car-optional residential choices. Read More

08/07/2024 Survey says! Expanding administrative review is the top PROCESS tool One surprise about reforming your zoning code to allow for more, and more affordable, housing is just how many regulations–seemingly unrelated–affect the type and amount of housing that actually gets built. Approval processes have an outsize role. Read More

07/31/2024 Survey says! Reducing land consumption with FORM tools receives consistent support The suite of form-based tools is aimed at allowing smaller (more affordable), denser (supporting more commerce and amenities), and potentially car-optional residential choices. Read More

03/25/2024 Survey says! Changes to the ZONE DISTRICTS lead the way in zoning reform There were only two tools that were used by the majority of communities that responded to the survey, and they’re variations on a theme: text amendments permitting new residential uses in existing districts. Read More