In August 2022, the Gainesville, Florida, city commission narrowly voted to eliminate single-family-only zoning and allow the construction of four- unit homes on all residential lots. In January 2023, a new city commission celebrated its first day in office by narrowly voting to repeal the fourplex legalization.
That quick reversal represented a stunning rebuke of "yes in my backyard" (YIMBY) housing reforms. It provided a valuable lesson: Even modest zoning reform is political and requires political thinking.