Why Do We Have Urban Density Controls?
分析城市密度控制如何迫使城市扩张、增加通勤距离和住房成本，并探讨在何种条件下居民仍可能从中获益，但数值分析表明典型参数下居民福利几乎必然受损。
Almost all urban land use controls reduce permitted densities. This article analyzes restrictions on residential densities in a conventional model of density–distance functions. Density controls force development to extend farther than in competitive equilibrium, thus increasing commuting distances and dwelling costs. Residents benefit if, as is likely, they prefer lower densities than in competitive equilibrium. But there is a limit to the extra commuting and housing costs that nevertheless make residents better off. Theoretical and numerical analyses are presented to show that likely parameter values almost certainly result in reductions in residents' welfare.