Land Use Restrictions and Housing Affordability

The Institute for the Study of Political Economy invites you to its speaker series presentation.

Land Use Restrictions and Housing Affordability

Emily Hamilton, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project
Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Dr. Emily Hamilton will discuss the importance of cities in economic growth. Many exchanges and innovations are specific to the time and place where they happen, and cities provide the location where a huge share of economic activity takes place. She'll also cover the link between local zoning rules and other policies that constrain the supply of new housing. These rules are not only causing housing affordability problems, but they’re also preventing many people from living in the places where their best economic opportunities are located. Finally, Hamilton will discuss recent reforms to zoning, including some that have been proven to deliver large increases in new housing. 

Emily Hamilton is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her research focuses on urban economics and land-use policy. She publishes both academic research and policy work. Her writing has appeared in outlets including the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, and she writes an occasional column at Governing. Hamilton has testified before several state legislatures as well as the U.S. House of Representatives. Hamilton serves on the Advisory Boards of Up for Growth and Cityscape, a journal published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She received her PhD in economics from George Mason University.