Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) are widely used as flexible zoning tools intended to encourage innovative design and affordable housing. In this presentation on “Using GIS to Evaluate Planned Unit Developments and Housing Outcomes,” Tabassum Zaman will demonstrate how GIS can be used to analyze the spatial distribution and development outcomes of PUDs in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Using housing as the spatial unit of analysis, spatial hedonic models estimate the price effects associated with PUD zoning while controlling for building attributes and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Results indicate a statistically significant housing price premium of approximately 1.7% for properties located within PUD districts compared to conventional residential zones, suggesting that zoning flexibility does not always perform as expected to contribute to the housing affordability issue. GIS-based analysis of this kind can help planners and policymakers critically evaluate zoning tools and better align zoning decisions with equity and affordability goals.
Zaman holds a Master of Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University with a research focus on zoning and housing policy. Her academic work emphasizes spatial analysis using GIS and statistical methods to examine housing affordability and development outcomes. During her graduate program, she completed summer internships with the Iowa Department of Transportation and with Data Science for the Public Good, where she worked on applied, policy-relevant data projects. She is currently working with a city assessor’s office as a data collector on housing, supporting data-driven analysis of residential properties and valuation.
Part of the Spring 2026 GIS Seminar Series hosted by the Department of Urban Planning and Development, this seminar is open to all Iowa State students, faculty, and staff. Contact Professor Monica Haddad, haddad@iastate.edu, for more information.