Zoning and the Density of Development

Counties of the L.A. metro area
Publication
Work in progress

We build a quantitative general equilibrium model of residence and employment choices under municipal density limits. Developers decide where to build, businesses decide where to offer jobs, and workers decide where to live and work given exogenous location characteristics, transport infrastructure, and zoning restrictions. We use employment, real estate, and commuting data to identify effective density restrictions for 3,917 Census tracts in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.