Law Commons^™

Residential Densities: A Patchwork Placebo, Stephen Sussna

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article examines the importance of residential density planning in today's society and the misapplications of this concept which have led to serious inequities in the population distribution of major American urban areas. The article will also discuss one of the great obstacles to the achievement of a rational population distribution, namely, exclusionary zoning ordinances. Finally, it will evaluate the future of density planning, specifically examining "ideal densities" and "efficient design for new communities" as well as the judicial implications of the problem. Several recommendations will also be made which, if implemented, would alleviate some of the difficulties that permeate …