Part 1: Why zoning reform isn't solving the housing crisis with Yonah Freemark

Building Better Cities · Apr 1, 2026 · 22m

Upzoning is often pitched as the silver bullet for the housing crisis — change the rules, let developers build, and supply will bring prices down. But the reality is a lot more complicated. In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sit down with Yonah Freemark to unpack what the research actually tells us about the relationship between zoning reform and housing production across U.S. cities.

Yonah is a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, where he leads the practice area on Fair Housing, Land Use, and Transportation and directs the Land Use Lab. He holds a PhD in urban studies and…