What is the National Zoning Atlas and Why Do We Need It?

The National Zoning Atlas (NZA) transforms zoning data into a practical and accessible resource to help communities make better land use decisions across the country. It’s a project of Land Use Atlas, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to illuminate critical information about the land use regulations that shape our lives. It’s helpful because it demystifies and democratizes information about zoning conditions in more than 33,000 jurisdictions across the United States.

For Oklahomans, the data was limited. Significant gaps in the zoning map over Northeastern Oklahoma made it challenging to equip the region with actionable data or insights.

That’s where Housing Forward came in. We sponsored the effort to expedite Northeastern Oklahoma’s addition to the National Zoning Atlas, making it possible for the first time, to view and analyze zoning codes across municipal boundaries in a unified, online format. This gives communities a data-driven foundation to identify and pursue needed changes.

This data is valuable and useful for communities that need housing development, and many groups can draw from it: urban and regional planners, state and local policymakers, housing agencies, real estate development and investors, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and transit agencies, environmental, fair housing and civil rights groups, legal advisors, economic development leaders and major employers, academic researchers and think tanks, journalists and data communicators, and community and advocacy networks.

One of the key reasons we sponsored the research—and the central purpose of the National Zoning Atlas—is that zoning decisions must be viewed through a regional lens, regardless of which jurisdiction governs a specific parcel of land. That’s the only way we can determine how to effectively advocate for additional housing opportunities across our entire region.

And that's exactly what the National Zoning Atlas does. It examines, county by county and municipality by municipality - all on the same map regardless of who the decision-maker might be - what type of housing we can build, and where it can be built. It also helps answer the bigger question: can we build what we need to build to solve our housing crisis?

We need to be able to look at the map and, at both a macro and micro level, determine whether we can build enough housing for Oklahomans. That’s where it aligns with our vision - an Oklahoma where everyone has the freedom to live in a home that fits their needs, their life, and their future.