Creative Zoning

Bonuses for builders, at a price

The first American zoning law was passed in New York City in 1916 to limit the size of new skyscrapers that were casting shadows on nearby streets. But now city fathers in several revenue-strapped cities are using zoning regulations as a money-saving way to improve the local urban landscape. City planners will permit developers to put up new buildings only on the condition that they also improve the area around the new structure, at their own expense.

The toughest new zoning requirements have been laid down in overcrowded...

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