Thursday, August 07, 2003

Building Height Restrictions

While I'm no fan of rent control, it is quite true that plenty of other regulations which, rightly or wrongly, serve to increase the property values of existing owners at the expense of tenants and new arrivals rarely get nearly as much attention. Whether under the guise of preservation of neighborhood character or just not "blocking my view," city zoning regulations serve to restrict construction of new residential dwellings and have the effect of raising local property prices.

That isn't to say that all zoning regulations are wrong, but the point is they tend not to be a liberal socialist plot. Rather, they tend to enforce the status quo and increase the wealth of existing owners.