Abundant Housing Atlanta

What is Zoning 2.0 and why does it matter?

Earlier this year, we wrote that Zoning 2.0 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse Atlanta's housing affordability crisis. We also said the draft of our city's first comprehensive zoning reform in 40 years did not go far enough to address our housing shortage or expand housing choices. Atlanta remains one of the most unequal cities in the United States, with housing costs rising faster than incomes and nearly half of renters burdened by housing costs.

The current draft misses several important opportunities to advance housing affordability, walkability, and other best practices. It also clocks in at roughly 900 pages, with layer upon layer of new rules and requirements. Any one of these provisions might seem minor. Together, they can make housing more expensive, complicated, and difficult to build. We call this “zoning by 1000 cuts.” Every extra barrier has a cost, and ultimately, those costs harm affordability for homeowners and renters.

What we’ve been working on: Solutions

To articulate what “better” policy looks like, Abundant Housing Atlanta has been an organizing force behind a broad citywide coalition that developed a detailed list of evidence-based reforms to improve Zoning 2.0.

The vision is simple: We believe in creating an Atlanta where anyone who desires to live here can build a life that they can afford.

Our recommendations combine what has worked in other cities with local expertise about the barriers that make housing harder and more expensive to build in Atlanta. They include policies advised by the National Housing Crisis Task Force and already being adopted in cities around the country.

The coalition submitted a letter to city officials in August that lays out...

• What Atlanta needs - recommended zoning reforms to produce affordable, attainable housing and enable equitable growth.
• What the current draft gets wrong - problems Zoning 2.0 fails to address or worsens.
• The impact - a case study shows how the new requirements in the fall 2025 draft would negatively impact affordability and feasibility of new construction.

You can read the coalition's letter here.

Where are we now?

After months of pro-housing advocacy and public input, the city commissioned Sara Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas, to provide an independent analysis of the second Zoning 2.0 draft.

The full report was featured by Axios Atlanta, with the news that City officials are pumping the brakes to rework the draft code. We’re encouraged that Dr. Bronin's analysis aligns with many of the national best practices we’ve been advocating for.

One conclusion stands out:

“I offer the opinion that the Draft Code fails to advance the economic mobility goals of the City, instead creating a confusing permitting system that could have worse outcomes than the current zoning code.”

Thank you to all who have brought us to this point. We see this as a promising step forward!

What’s next?

A City Council Zoning Committee working session is scheduled on October 15 to discuss the changes. We are now watching for Draft 3 of Zoning 2.0, which is expected to be released to Council in early 2027.

Now is the time to speak up

There are two ways to join us in advocating for the homes Atlanta needs and positively influence what comes next:

1. Contact your City Council member. We’re encouraging pro-housing Atlanta residents, coalition partners, and other organizations to make their positions clear to Councilmembers, especially members of the Zoning Committee. If you believe Atlanta needs a zoning code that makes room for more housing options, tell your Councilmember why housing matters to you personally - and that you support moving Zoning 2.0 forward only if it includes the evidence-based reforms Atlanta needs.
   
   If you don’t know your City Council district, visit MapATL, click “Find Your District,” and enter your street address.
2. Prepare to be a pro-housing voice. As Zoning 2.0 moves forward, there will be opportunities for Atlantans to stay informed and provide input through your NPU, public meetings, and other forms of engagement.

We’ll share more as we digest the details of the recent report and hear more about what's to come.