Quasi-judicial decision making and exclusionary zoning

The author examines how quasi-judicial zoning requirements affect exclusionary zoning (i.e., land-use controls that exclude the poor and/or minorities from particular jurisdictions). Using a large sample of communities from nine major metropolitan areas, the analysis reveals that quasi-judicial constraints diminish the level of exclusionary zoning. This indicates that if city councils are not permitted complete legislative discretion when making zoning decisions, they may not be able to satisfy constituent demands to keep out unwanted developments and their residents.