NYU Furman Center Spring Speaker Series: Kenzo Asahi
Please join the NYU Furman Center for a virtual presentation:
The Social Divide of Urban Land Use Regulatory Changes
with
Kenzo Asahi
Associate Professor at the School of Government
at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
This paper examines the drivers of land-use regulatory changes in Santiago, Chile, focusing on downzoning (stricter regulations) and upzoning (more flexible regulations). Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyze an original dataset covering 24 municipalities over 20 years and 19 semi-structured interviews with key actors. Our findings show that high-income neighborhoods are more likely to experience downzoning, particularly where homeownership is less prevalent, reflecting a “social divide” in land-use policy. Qualitative evidence highlights the growing influence of organized residents, with higher-income and socially connected groups leveraging participatory reforms and informal ties to municipal decision-makers. Additionally, high-density areas favor stricter regulations, while large-scale zoning changes do not alter regulatory dynamics as theory predicts. These results contribute to the debate between the “growth machine” and “homevoter” theories, suggesting both frameworks apply depending on a city’s level of social segmentation. Methodologically, we introduce a novel dataset on municipal land-use regulations within a mixed-methods framework, offering new insights into the political economy of urban development.
Date: Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
About the Presenter:
Kenzo Asahi is an Associate Professor at the School of Government at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His research lies at the intersection of urban and labor economics, examining how the built environment and regulatory policies shape economic opportunities and social dynamics in cities. He has a particular interest in the causes and consequences of urban height regulations.
He holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Master in Research (MRes) in Economics from University College London, a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University, and a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC-Chile). Currently, Kenzo is an Associate Visiting Professor in Urban and Labor Economics at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT.
This event is open to members of the NYU community. Please register using this RSVP link.