US cities' permitting or restriction of housing development

Abstract

The approval of residential development is a critical tool that cities have for extending access to affordable housing. We link access to housing with municipal actions that enable or restrict residential development. Using municipal-level data, we examine the municipal approval of residential development in American cities. Municipal permits are the focus due to their role in enabling housing development. City officials adapt their permitting of residential development to the diverse context of urban areas. A political economy analysis guides the research to investigate how the jurisdiction of cities and organized interests influence the approval of residential development projects. The central finding is that the municipal approval of residential development varies sharply across urban areas, with the jurisdiction of cities and organized interests influencing the approval or restriction of residential development. The paper connects research on incorporated cities with the political economy of interests that influence urban policy decisions.