Justice

CityLab Daily: When Single-Family Zoning Is Banned

Also: Cities ask the EU to help rein in Airbnb, and the Bradford pear tree can’t be tamed.
Andrew Selsky/AP

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Endzone: On Sunday, Oregon lawmakers took a historic step toward becoming the first state to eliminate single-family zoning. Democratic Governor Kate Brown is expected to sign a bill that will allow for duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and “cottage clusters” on land currently reserved for single-family houses in cities with more than 25,000 people. Duplexes will be allowed in single-family zones in cities with at least 10,000 people. The move puts Oregon at the forefront of a nationwide surge in “upzoning” to make cities denser, greener, and more affordable in the face of housing shortages.