Varieties of U.S. growth management: Lessons from New York and San Francisco

The United States has huge internal variation in its land use policy. The chapter explores the clustering of land use regulations and affordable housing programs into regulatory regimes. It explores the regulatory regimes of land use regulation in two US metropolitan areas: San Francisco and New York. San Francisco is dominated by ‘modern’ regulatory regimes; New York is dominated by traditional regimes. The chapter considers that, among the nations, United States has the most federal system of governance among the nations. Local government structure is one of the most important components of the institutional framework for land use planning in the United States. California requires all its local governments to adopt ‘general plans’ consisting of seven elements: land use, housing, circulation, open space, recreation, public facilities, safety, and noise. California has also enacted programs to encourage the construction of a range of housing types in its communities.