Upzoning in Minneapolis

In Class 7 we discussed the assumption under a Tiebout that people have the mobility to choose where they live and therefore, a say in their public good provisions. More often than not, this is not the case as people are limited in where they can live based on factors such as affordability and accessibility. In (relatively) recent news, the City of Minneapolis voted to eliminate all single family zoning within the city limits. Part of the reasoning for this move is to increase the amount of affordable housing options available to those who wish to live in the city. This decision is important in that it recognizes that zoning has often been used as a tool to segregate populations. Additional benefits and reasoning are described in this article in The New York Times. Although the rezoning is still too recent to analyze the full effects, I began wondering what the impact would be on resident mobility within the city and the resulting public good provisions. While perfect mobility will likely still not be achieved, it is a step in that direction. Perhaps the flexibility to develop at different densities will improve residents’ ability to live in areas that match their public good provision preferences.