I found this article engaging:
Consider the semantic cargo embedded in common planning concepts. Shadow studies sound objective and scientific, but they encode an assumption that any shadow cast by a new building represents harm to be minimized. Setback requirements ostensibly preserve neighborhood character, but they guarantee that new buildings will be smaller and house fewer people. Floor area ratio limits appear to balance competing interests, but they systematically bias outcomes toward lower density.
These concepts aren’t neutral technical tools…
