Zoning & Housing Segregation in Denver: A Geospatial History
Voiceover
Presenter(s)
Amanda Rees
Discipline
Social Sciences & Humanities
Abstract or Description
Beginning in the early twentieth century, laws regulating and restricting the growth and development of American cities arose around the US. The publication of the Standard Zoning Enabling Act in 1922 allowed municipalities to define, separate, and assign land use categories to different parts of the city. Each zone - residential, business, commercial, and industrial - was to be located at particular places in the city and associated with specific building height and area restrictions, as well as limits on noise and vibration.
Denver started the process in 1923, and the City Council adopted the Building Zone Ordinance and Parkway Setback Regulations in 1925. While the initial goal was to separate residential areas from industry, whole communities were faced with the implications of suddenly residing in non-residentially zoned areas.
Where were these communities, and who lived there?
30 years later, the city had grown in both population and area. City officials created a new land use map and accompanying land use ordinance.
Were there areas that changed from residential to non-residential, and if so, who lived there?
Where did upzoning, or the increased density of housing, occur, and who lived there?
This project uses a temporal geospatial analysis of historical zoning maps, census data, and archival documents to understand how Denver’s zoning codes -- versions published in 1925 and 1955 -- intersected with demographic segregation in Denver’s neighborhoods, resulting in community displacement. Early zoning and planning processes have shaped the way Denver’s population is distributed contemporarily. They helped to create segregation in housing patterns, socioeconomics, and demographics which may be related to disparities in education, income, healthcare, among other social determinants of health.. Recent conversations in the news related to land use planning and zoning have renewed public interest in the process, and by highlighting the issues created by zoning in the past, perhaps local and state officials can make more informed decisions moving forward.