| Environmental Regulations and Housing Costs Contributor(s): Nelson, Arthur C. (Author), Randolph, John (Author), McElfish, James M. (Author) |
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ISBN: 1597265608 ISBN-13: 9781597265607 Publisher: Island Press OUR PRICE: $49.40 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2009 Annotation: Many communities across the nation still lack affordable housing. And many officials continue to claim that "affordable housing" is an oxymoron. Building inexpensively is impossible, they say, because there are too many regulations. Required environmental impact statements and habitat protection laws, they contend, drive up the costs of construction. But is this actually true? In a comprehensive study of the question, the authors of this eye-opening book separate fact from myth. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Business & Economics | Real Estate - General - Architecture | Urban & Land Use Planning |
| Dewey: 333.338 |
| LCCN: 2008048248 |
| Physical Information: 0.6" H x 5.9" W x 8.9" (0.85 lbs) 288 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Many communities across the nation still lack affordable housing. And many officials continue to claim that "affordable housing" is an oxymoron. Building inexpensively is impossible, they say, because there are too many regulations. Required environmental impact statements and habitat protection laws, they contend, drive up the costs of construction. But is this actually true? In a comprehensive study of the question, the authors of this eye-opening book separate fact from myth. With admirable clarity, they describe the policy debate from its beginning, review the economic theory, trace the evolution of development regulation, and summarize the major research on the topic. In addition, they offer their own research, accompanied by a case study of two strikingly different Washington, D.C., suburbs. They also include results of focus groups conducted in Dallas, Denver, and Tucson. The authors find that environmental regulatory costs--as a share of total costs and processes--are about the same now as they were thirty years ago, even though there are far more regulations today. They find, too, that environmental regulations may actually create benefits that could improve the value of housing. Although they conclude that regulations do not appear to drive up housing costs more now than in the past, they do offer recommendations of ways in which the processes associated with regulations--including review procedures--could be improved and could result in cost savings. Intended primarily for professionals who are involved in, or impacted by, regulations--from public officials, planners, and engineers to housing developers and community activists--this book will provide useful insights and data to anyone who wants to know if (and how) American housing can actually be made "affordable." |
Contributor Bio(s): Nelson, Arthur C.: - Arthur C. Nelson, Ph.D., FAICP, is Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Planning and Real Estate Development in the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. He is also Presidential Professor Emeritus of City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. For the past thirty years, Dr. Nelson has conducted pioneering research in growth management, urban containment, public facility finance, economic development, and metropolitan development patterns. Numerous organizations have sponsored Dr. Nelson's research, including the National Science Foundation; National Academy of Sciences; U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Commerce, and Transportation; U.K. Department of the Environment; Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Fannie Mae Foundation; American Planning Association; National Association of Realtors; and The Brookings Institution. His research and practice has led to the publication of 14 books and more than 200 other scholarly and professional publications. Prior to academia, Dr. Nelson managed his own West Coast consultancy in planning and management, and continues to provide professional planning services. In 2000, his professional planning, education, and research accomplishments were recognized as the first Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners elected based on a national (as opposed to state) process. From 2000 to 2001, he served HUD as an expert on smart growth and growth management for the Clinton and Bush Administrations. In this capacity, he helped expand HUD's research scholarship programs and create HUD's doctoral fellowship program. Dr. Nelson has earned three teacher of the year honors at two universities (Kansas State University and Georgia Tech), researcher of the year honors at a third (University of New Orleans), and scholar of the year honors at a fourth (Virginia Tech). His books have shaped the field of impact fees, growth management, and urban containment. His papers have won national awards and international distinction. Dr. Nelson's students have won numerous national awards including the national student project of the year award given by the American Institute of Certified Planners. His former doctoral students are becoming program chairs and research center directors across the U.S. Dr. Nelson has also received numerous commendations for his professional continuing education programs through which he has instructed more than 5,000 professionals in a variety of technical planning and facility financing subjects since the late 1990s. |