Eliminating Map-to-Text Discrepancies

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For a century, planners have relied on zoning to promote rational and orderly development. Typically, zoning in the United States is comprised of two components: a document describing land use rules and a map that assigns the rules geographically. But what are the consequences when a city's zoning map and text don't match?

The National Zoning Atlas is the first attempt to centralize and standardize information from every municipality in the U.S. into a single publicly available database. As staff members of the National Zoning Atlas, we have found discrepancies in just over one-third of the 42 jurisdictions we have jointly reviewed. To varying degrees, these discrepancies raise concerns over the reliability of public information about zoning. At a minimum, our findings suggest the need for local planning staff across the country to proactively identify and resolve discrepancies. Otherwise, zoning discrepancies may be found to deprive residents of their basic understanding of the rules that govern their actions, and in the most extreme cases may deprive them of the right to due process.

This issue of Zoning Practice explores the prevalence, political and legal implications, and types of map-to-text discrepancies. It concludes with recommended actions local planners and public officials can take to eliminate this problem.

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