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It's worse than that. US towns can have a patchwork of complex zoning rules where the answer to almost any development is "no", and when you do make it past the planning department, the neighbors are often able to block it. So there's no quota, instead you are trapped in months or years of uncertain red tape.

San Francisco is perhaps the worst, but these problems are widespread.

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And all of those convoluted rules are why CA is forcing ADU's. It's the legislature basically telling towns to get it together or zoning goes bye bye.

And San Francisco also legally limits the square footage of office space that can be built. Prop M passed in 1986 by the voters. Thank Sue Hestor for this.

Is that a bad thing? If you're going to restrict residential construction, surely restricting office construction to match is a good thing?

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