PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Groves, Jeremy R.
AU  - Helland, Eric
TI  - Zoning and the Distribution of Location Rents: An Empirical Analysis of Harris County, Texas
AID  - 10.2307/3146921
DP  - 2002 Feb 01
TA  - Land Economics
PG  - 28--44
VI  - 78
IP  - 1
4099  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/78/1/28.short
4100  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/78/1/28.full
SO  - Land Econ2002 Feb 01; 78
AB  - The Coase theorem presents two criteria for evaluating regulation: regulations efficiency relative to private solutions and how the regulation affects the distribution of wealth. Previous studies of the impact of municipal zoning have focused on Coase’s first criteria: whether zoning raises land values overall. This study estimates the transfer of wealth between owners of existing homes that results from the creation of a municipal zoning ordinance. We find that property best suited to residential use gains in value while property with relatively higher potential as commercial property experiences a decline in the value. We find that zoning is distributive. (JEL R 52)