In contrast, thoroughly zoned neighbourhoods are unbalanced. They are too busy at certain times, deathly quiet at others; they are unable to support local shops and businesses. They encourage a dependency on cars, because people tend to work far from where they live. They reinforce social divisions, too: Jonathan Rothwell of the Brookings Institution has shown that by preventing the development of new affordable housing, zoning restrictions often amplify existing racial and social inequalities.
