Land Use in California

Made possible by funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley conducted a survey in 2017 and 2018 exploring land use policy and practice in California jurisdictions.

The Terner Center California Land Use data set and descriptive report reflect responses from 252 cities and 19 unincorporated county areas in the state, and include insights on a range of questions on local zoning, development approval processes, affordable housing policies, and rental regulations.

California’s housing affordability crisis has prompted public leaders and citizens alike to examine the policies and practices that shape the state’s housing supply. Authored by leading researchers from across the country, a set of working papers use the Terner Center’s California Residential Land Use Data Set, published in December 2018, to better understand the implications of California’s local and state policies on the production of housing, including what kind of housing gets built, who gets to live in that housing, based on current and historic patterns, and the connections between housing and employment opportunities.

Download the data set and descriptive report, and read the working papers on the project website here.