Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy

Some critics have argued that local growth controls are a major cause of the state’s housing shortfalls and affordability problems. In Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy, Paul Lewis and Max Neiman probe this argument by examining the residential development policies of California’s cities. Focusing on local efforts to control the amount, type, and location of new housing, the authors use a variety of data sources–including a detailed survey of almost 300 city planning officials in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Valley–to investigate which communities adopt growth controls and why. Their findings indicate that most growth management policies are understandable responses to the cross-pressures experienced by city officials.