Comprehensive Ordinance Research Articles

The Incidence of Land Use Regulations

I study the welfare consequences of land use regulations for low- and high-skilled workers within a city. I use detailed geographic data for Cook County and Chicago in 2015-2016, together with a spatial quantitative model with two types of workers and real estate developers who face regulations. For identification, I use the 1923 Zoning Ordinance, which was the first comprehensive ordinance in Chicago. I find that an increase of 10 percentage points in the share of residential zoning in a block group, relative to block groups with more commercial zoning, leads to a 1.7% increase in housing prices, a 2.6% decrease in wages and a higher concentration of high-skilled residents. Welfare changes can be decomposed into changes in housing prices, sorting, wages and land rents. Results suggest that more mixed-use zoning and looser floor-to- area limits lead to welfare improvements, especially for low-skilled residents, and to a reduction in welfare inequality.

Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Coverage in the Appalachian Region of the United States

We sought to quantitatively examine the pattern of, and socioeconomic factors associated with, adoption of clean indoor air ordinances in Appalachia. We collected and reviewed clean indoor air ordinances in Appalachian communities in 6 states and rated the ordinances for completeness of coverage in workplaces, restaurants, and bars. Additionally, we computed a strength score to measure coverage in 7 locations. We fit mixed-effects models to determine whether the presence of a comprehensive ordinance and the ordinance strength were related to community socioeconomic disadvantage. Of the 332 communities included in the analysis, fewer than 20% had adopted a comprehensive workplace, restaurant, or bar ordinance. Most ordinances were weak, achieving on average only 43% of the total possible points. Communities with a higher unemployment rate were less likely and those with a higher education level were more likely to have a strong ordinance. The majority of residents in these communities are not protected from secondhand smoke. Efforts to pass strong statewide clean indoor air laws should take priority over local initiatives in these states.

Zur Auffindung der ältesten Augsburger Kirchenordnung von 1534 Mit einer Edition der Handschrift

ABSTRACT In the city archive in Giengen on the Brenz, a manuscript was discovered that in all probability deals with the oldest known ecclesiastical ordinance of Augsburg. On the basis of other information, the text itself has long been regarded as lost. The ordinance encompasses regulations for the contraction of marriage, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and also evening prayers. In its content, it stands in close relation to other ordinances governing evangelical church activity in Augsburg. On the basis of its internal structure and its visible connection to the Reformation in Strasbourg, Martin Bucer may be regarded as its intellectual father. The ordinance originated toward the end of 1534. It is thus two and a half years older than the July 1537 text that up until now has been regarded as the first ecclesiastical ordinance of Augsburg. The ordinance of 1534 does not, to be sure, contain any of the earliest Reformation mandates, but it is nevertheless the first comprehensive ordinance for the Augsburg churches. Together with the Strasbourg ecclesiastical ordinance of the same year, this text belongs to the phase of comprehensive reorganization of evangelical religious existence. Numerous upper German imperial cities undertook such restructuring in the aftermath of the 1530 imperial diet of Augsburg. This document belongs, therefore, to the important evidence of the creation of a Lutheran order in the upper German imperial cities.

Noise Ordinance Enforcement in Boulder, Colorado

The City of Boulder, Colorado, has had an active noise control program for three years. The levels set for vehicles are more stringent than those of California and the enforcement statistics have shown that these lower levels can be reasonably applied at the present time-even to motorcycles. Enforcement is accomplished primarily outside the Police Department using the “soft fuzz” approach. The techniques used to maximize compliance with minimum personnel will be described. The educational program for civic groups and students, an important part of the enforcement program, are discussed. The City is currently spending about 23¢ per capita per year on noise control and may be second only to Inglewood, California. The results of a survey of citizenry taken two years after the passage of the ordinance are given. The experience has resulted in the writing of a more comprehensive ordinance, which is described. Agreements among city departments for noise prevention planning are described.