Albuquerque is our home. We care deeply about keeping it a place where people can afford to live, raise families, start businesses, and build a future.

But today, our zoning code makes that harder than it needs to be. While peer cities like Tucson, Phoenix, Austin, and even Las Cruces have modernized their rules to allow more housing and support economic growth, Albuquerque risks falling behind.

City Council is now considering a package of zoning amendments similar to the reforms already adopted in Tucson and Las Cruces. These changes would legalize common housing types like duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts which are currently illegal to build in 70% of Albuquerque, make it easier to build casitas (ADUs), and allow small neighborhood businesses like corner stores and live/work spaces. In other words, they would let Albuquerque grow in the way people already live.

The proposal also reduces unnecessary parking mandates, especially near transit corridors. This makes it easier to build homes and businesses, lowers construction costs, and supports walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods without eliminating parking where it’s needed.

Taken together, these updates expand housing choices, support workforce housing, and create a more predictable environment for local builders, small businesses, and employers. Cities that have adopted similar reforms are seeing more housing built, better affordability outcomes, and stronger economic momentum.

These are not radical ideas. They are practical, proven updates that reflect how cities across the Southwest are responding to today’s housing and economic realities. Evidence from New Mexico and across the country shows that modest, citywide zoning reform works. Research from the Pew Charitable Trusts links restrictive land-use rules to rising housing costs, while cities that allow more housing types broadly see better outcomes. In Houston, Austin, and Minneapolis, incremental reforms increased housing supply and eased pressure without widespread displacement. When growth is allowed everywhere, it does not overwhelm any one place.
[Sources: Pew Charitable Trusts; NYU Furman Center; Texas Tribune; New York Times]

We urge City Council to adopt these zoning amendments and help make Albuquerque a more affordable, competitive, and welcoming city for current and future residents.

Please sign this petition to support common-sense zoning updates that allow more homes, strengthen our economy, and help Albuquerque thrive.