Who Serves on Zoning Boards?

by Joe Stampone on July 15, 2010

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What kind of person would volunteer to serve on a zoning board? They certainly don’t do it for the money. cheap drugs online So it should come to no surprise that a new study by Jerry L. Anderson, Aaron Brees, and Emily Renninger finds that most zoning board members join because they have something to gain from the position.

The boards are overwhelmingly populated by certain types of professionals, with business owners and real estate development being disproportionately represented. In most cities, the majority of the board members have some direct or indirect interest in the development process.

The authors argue that this disproportionate representation may lead to predictable building patterns — the prevalence of urban sprawl and gated communities or why “high-impact land uses are located most often in poorer sections of town.”

So how can we solve this issue? Well in Norway there is a quota for women on corporate boards, which seems to be working out well; is there a corollary to consider for U.S. zoning boards?

P.S. I’m off to Chicago for the weekend to visit a friend, explore the city and catch a Cubs v. Phillies game at Wrigley. This is my first time to Chicago so if you have any suggestions of things to do or places to eat let me know!

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  • http://www.headsoratale.com Eric Amzalag

    Wouldn't Norway's solution be very similar to a failed affirmative action policy? Once the government (State or federal) can start dictating these types of requirements there is no going back. And remember, people that want to be on those boards will get on them whether it is themselves or some sort of proxy. Look how the lobbying industry has effectively taken ahold of the federal government. We can expect to see some of those things move to lower levels of government once more requirements are put on who can be in what position…

  • Anthony

    Joe,

    I'm from Chicago…try Gino's East Pizza…sausage, Garrett's Popcorn — the cheese/caramel mix and a dipped beef from Al's. Fantastic all.

    Enjoy Wrigley.

    I would expect zoning boards to be comprised of such individuals, given the impact of their actions on those respective professions. Perhaps, a wider net should be cast to ensure that other folks — teachers, home makers, etc, — have a say in the real estate affairs of their communities.

  • http://www.astudentoftherealestategame.com/ Joe Stampone

    Thanks for the suggestions, I had a great weekend in Chicago. Tried Garrett Popcorn mix, had deep dish, dipped Italian beef and multiple Chicago dogs. I really ate my way through the city.

    From a real estate/architectural standpoint I was amazed by the city.

    I think you're right with regards to opening the zoning boards up to a wider array of professionals. Of course business owners and real estate professionals are the ones more familiar with zoning laws.

    Thanks for reading.

  • http://www.astudentoftherealestategame.com/ Joe Stampone

    Eric, thanks for your insightful comments.

    Since writing this post I learned that some more specialized boards have quotas by profession. For example, the Atlanta Urban Design Commission is required to have two architects, as well as a landscape architect, lawyer, land developer, real estate professional, historic preservationist, artist, historian, neighborhood representative, and urban planner. So you get a variety of views. This is one potential solution.

    Thoughts?