Charles Gardner
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Research Fellow
Charles Gardner is a Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center whose research focuses on planning law and housing affordability. During a career as an attorney devoted primarily to the practice of civil litigation, he nurtured an interest in cities and urban planning which he developed into an area of expertise through his work at the Old Urbanist blog and his involvement in state and local policy and planning. In particular, Charlie works on zoning and land use issues as a local elected official and as an active participant in state policymaking, where he serves on the Connecticut State Advisory Committee (SAC) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Commission on Connecticut’s Development and Future (CCDF).
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | Amicus Briefs Amicus Briefs
Adams v. City of Seattle
Brief of Amici Curiae in support of appellant Anita Adams
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
New NC Law Protects Property Rights by Limiting Local ‘Down-zoning’ | Carolina Journal
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Neutralizing the Objector Lawsuit | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Florida
How to deliver land use reform in the state—three key policy recommendations
- | Housing Housing
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Planning Law and Housing Affordability in Lexington | News Talk 590 WVLK AM
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Tennessee
The decision-making process should be based on a reasonable evidentiary basis, not political pressure on local boards and commissions
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Boosting Housing Affordability: Practical Suggestions for Congress and the White House
How executive actions and new laws in Washington can help reform efforts in the states.
- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Tennessee’s HPR Law and Its Transformation of Nashville’s Housing Market: A Model for Other States
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How Reno’s Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Are Blocking Affordable Homeownership for Nevadans
Lawmakers can promote affordability and choice in housing options by capping minimum lot sizes, limiting street frontage requirements, or both.
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2025
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | Amicus Briefs Amicus Briefs
Adams v. City of Seattle
Brief of Amici Curiae in support of appellant Anita Adams
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
New NC Law Protects Property Rights by Limiting Local ‘Down-zoning’ | Carolina Journal
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Neutralizing the Objector Lawsuit | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Florida
How to deliver land use reform in the state—three key policy recommendations
- | Housing Housing
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Planning Law and Housing Affordability in Lexington | News Talk 590 WVLK AM
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Tennessee
The decision-making process should be based on a reasonable evidentiary basis, not political pressure on local boards and commissions
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Boosting Housing Affordability: Practical Suggestions for Congress and the White House
How executive actions and new laws in Washington can help reform efforts in the states.
- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Tennessee’s HPR Law and Its Transformation of Nashville’s Housing Market: A Model for Other States
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How Reno’s Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Are Blocking Affordable Homeownership for Nevadans
Lawmakers can promote affordability and choice in housing options by capping minimum lot sizes, limiting street frontage requirements, or both.
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2025
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Florida
How to deliver land use reform in the state—three key policy recommendations
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Tennessee
The decision-making process should be based on a reasonable evidentiary basis, not political pressure on local boards and commissions
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Boosting Housing Affordability: Practical Suggestions for Congress and the White House
How executive actions and new laws in Washington can help reform efforts in the states.
- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Tennessee’s HPR Law and Its Transformation of Nashville’s Housing Market: A Model for Other States
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How Reno’s Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Are Blocking Affordable Homeownership for Nevadans
Lawmakers can promote affordability and choice in housing options by capping minimum lot sizes, limiting street frontage requirements, or both.
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2025
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Connecticut
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Virginia
- | Housing Housing
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Cutting Zoning Down to Size
Reevaluating the Legal Vulnerability of Urban Minimum Lot Sizes
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2024
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Planning Law and Housing Affordability in Lexington | News Talk 590 WVLK AM
- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
How Property Law Shapes Community | Yeoman
- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Zoning: Segregation of Our Public Space | Urban Homeworks’ Reclaiming Home
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Colorado Can Improve Housing Affordability by Requiring a Health and Safety Basis for Occupancy Limits
Colorado Senate Local Government and Housing Committee | House Bill 24-1007, The HOME (Harmonizing Occupancy Measures Equitably) Act
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Legalizing ADUs and Duplexes Can Help Unlock Housing Affordability in New Hampshire
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
ADU Reform Would Assist Housing Affordability in Nebraska
Nebraska Urban Affairs Committee | LB 1166, Provide requirements for zoning regulations and accessory dwelling units
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Duplex Reform Would Assist Housing Affordability in Nebraska
Nebraska Urban Affairs Committee | LB 1165, Provide requirements for zoning regulations and duplex housing
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Lifting Onerous Occupancy Requirements Can Help Unlock Housing Affordability
New Hampshire House Municipal and County Government Committee House Bill 1281, Relative to zoning restrictions on residential rental property
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Setting Minimum Zoning Requirements for Multifamily Housing
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing More Housing Would Contribute To Housing Affordability In Massachusetts
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
The Benefits of Transit-Oriented Zoning Reform
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Legalizing Duplexes Can Help Unlock Housing Affordability in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee Allowing municipalities to permit 2 residential units in certain single-family residential zones
Latest Work
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
New NC Law Protects Property Rights by Limiting Local ‘Down-zoning’ | Carolina Journal
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Neutralizing the Objector Lawsuit | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ruminating on Sheetz | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
This Supreme Court Case From California Could Ease Housing Shortages Everywhere | Los Angeles Times
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Tell It to the Judge: New Lawsuits Take Exclusionary Zoning to Court | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Cataloguing California’s Cornucopia of Land Use Legislation | Market Urbanism
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary