Imagine there’s no zoning

For many people, a world without zoning sounds like a dystopia.  Uninformed people often assume that zoning laws protect homeowners from the risk of ugly industrial plants being built right next door. In fact, there were rules against that sort of “public nuisance” even before the first zoning laws were enacted. The actual purpose of residential zoning laws is to restrict the supply of new housing.

For those who are under the illusion that zoning is about protecting residential areas against industrial plants...