I often hear that mixed-use zoning (i.e. Euro-style walkable urban planning) is illegal in the US. Zoning laws will always prioritize auto-centric and oil-friendly infrastructure. But which laws specifically prohibit human scale development and how can we get them repealed? What laws can we enact in their place?
It’s not. Zoning is the problem but also the solution. Definitely mixed use, definitely high density.
I like the variation “transit oriented development “. Build a train system as your focus. Actively guide development around each station. Zone for mixed use and higher density, but needs active encouragement, needs to smooth out the requirements. In the Boston area, one of the keys is higher density “by right”. Typically bigger buildings are treated case by case by zoning boards but that’s paperwork, delay, discouragement. “By right” says those are approved by default in that zone, just like a single family home in a zoned residential: less bureaucracy less paperwork, less delay