Debating Single-Family Zoning in Newton, 1922-53

48 Littlefield Road, Newton Center MA

14 January, 2021

Description

For almost a century, Newton’s zoning debates have focused largely on whether and where to allow houses for more than one family. After Mayor Edwin Childs successfully opposed single-family zoning in 1922, noting “all of the good people are not found in single dwellings,” the Board of Aldermen reversed that decision in 1925. This talk will retrace how and why major zoning decisions through 1953 increasingly restricted multifamily housing and created the puzzling distinction between “old lots” and “new lots” that still applies today. Register to receive the link. Contact: +1 617-796-1450