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Under the (Neighbor)Hood: Understanding Interactions Among Zoning Regulations

Amrita Kulka et al.

The Review of Economics and Statistics2026https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.a.1736article
AJG 4ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

We study how various zoning regulations combine to affect housing supply, prices, and rents of single- and multifamily homes using novel lot-level zoning data from Greater Boston and a cross-sectional boundary discontinuity design at regulation boundaries. Looser density restrictions, alone or with other less restrictive regulations, are most effective in increasing supply and reducing per-housing-unit rents and prices. We theoretically and empirically show that restrictive zoning regulations shift housing stock towards larger units, increasing prices per housing unit. Counterfactuals imply that a recent Massachusetts law increasing building density near transit can reduce long-run rents and prices, particularly in suburbs.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.a.1736

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@article{amrita2026,
  title        = {{Under the (Neighbor)Hood: Understanding Interactions Among Zoning Regulations}},
  author       = {Amrita Kulka et al.},
  journal      = {The Review of Economics and Statistics},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.a.1736},
}

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Under the (Neighbor)Hood: Understanding Interactions Among Zoning Regulations

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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