Title: Smart growth-based policy suggestions for housing the evolving gig workforce in American cities

Authors: Roshni Das

Addresses: Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC), Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Abstract: The gig economy is expanding at an unprecedented rate in the USA. What this means for urban policy is that there are likely going to be repercussions for effective land use in American cities. Specifically, urban areas are going to experience a crunch in affordable housing to accommodate the gig workers. This essay is a theoretical exercise in suggesting solutions that can address this anticipated housing crisis. To do so, the paper borrows from the smart growth approach, currently being championed by the Environmental Protection Agency, a US federal government agency, to propose three policy alternatives to address the stated problem. These are: mixed-use development in infill or brownfield areas such as downtown, rezoning for mixed-use land use and transit-oriented (greenfield) development. Based on our goals-alternatives matrix and comparative scoring method, we recommend that mixed-use brownfield development is the most optimal solution for city planning in the future.

Keywords: housing; gig economy; the USA; smart growth; policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2024.139508

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2024 Vol.10 No.3, pp.244 - 255

Received: 20 Jan 2023
Accepted: 05 Feb 2023
Published online: 03 Jul 2024 *

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