St. Paul Moves Toward Zoning Reform

The city is considering legalizing missing middle housing types and loosening other zoning regulations to encourage more housing production and density.

1 minute read

July 11, 2023, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


St. Paul skyline as seen from across river

Chris / Adobe Stock

Writing in Streets MN, Zak Yudhishthu expresses optimism that zoning reform in St. Paul is moving in the right direction as the city moves closer to legalizing ‘missing middle housing.’

According to Yudhishthu, NIMBY fears are less powerful in the city. “There’s less fear-mongering around neighborhood character and bulldozers, leaving more room for important questions around effective policy implementation, the likely effects of policy changes and equity.”

Unlike past discussions of zoning reform in the region, such as the contentious fight over the Minneapolis 2040 plan, “there is no organized anti-change coalition, and opponents’ comments represent a small fringe of the policy discussion.” This is likely due in part to the visible—or not so visible—effects of the Minneapolis 2040 reforms, which led to only modest increases in housing and certainly didn’t cause “the end of single-family zoning,” as some critics warned.

While St. Paul zoning reforms and their details remain up in the air, Yudhishthu believes the discourse has shifted dramatically. “For decades, preservation of perceived ‘neighborhood character’ and opposition to change have defined our urban development at great cost to everyone.” Now, cities are recognizing the unsustainable rise in housing prices and the close connection to zoning and land use policy. “This enables us to focus on better implementation of more future-focused policies, opening a path to more fair, equitable and effective housing policies.”

Wednesday, July 5, 2023 in Streets MN

Single-family homes in a suburban neighborhood in Florida.

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power

The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

June 16, 2024 - The Guardian

Multistory apartment building under construction.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing

Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

June 10, 2024 - Nooga Today

Aerial view of intersection in New York City with yellow cabs and zebra crosswalks.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths

Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

June 13, 2024 - Todd Litman

Brick high-rise apartment buildings in New York City

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply

New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

June 18 - University of Kansas

Couple on one side of desk with banker on other side looking at paperwork.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?

Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

June 18 - Shelterforce Magazine

Rendering of Glory Park in Lewisville, Texas.

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas

The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.

June 18 - Lewisville Leader

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.