Cincinnati's Department of Planning and Engagement says the "Connected Communities" zoning reform passed in 2024 has reduced regulatory barriers for construction.
Deputy Director Emily Ahouse says one metric to look at is the ratio of construction permits to zoning relief hearings, where trending up is a good thing.
“[In 2023] we are seeing 13 building permits to every hearing; 2024 we saw 14.2 building permits for every hearing. And last year, we saw 16.3 building permits for every hearing."
In other words, construction projects are moving forward more quickly with fewer required hearings. Ahouse says it's too soon to determine the impact of Connected Communities on housing construction, because units are tracked based on closed permits, not when a project begins.
"We're still tracking big numbers in terms of housing production impacts, but I think just the reduction in the number of hearings is evident in the way it's trending ... to tell us that regulatory barriers have been removed," Ahouse said.
In 2025, the city saw a net gain of nearly 1,300 housing units. Neighborhoods with the most housing units added include Oakley, Downtown, and Walnut Hills. About half of all neighborhoods had no change or had a net decrease because more housing units were removed than were added.
Twenty-eight neighborhoods had a net positive housing units added in 2025. Here are the top five:
- Oakley: 351 units
- Downtown: 341 units
- Walnut Hills: 139 units
- Pleasant Ridge: 84 units
- Camp Washington: 82 units
Six neighborhoods had a net change of zero units. Sixteen neighborhoods had a net decrease in 2025, including:
- North Fairmount: -13 units
- West Price Hill: -5 units
- Linwood: -5 units
- South Fairmount: -3 units
- Mt. Airy: -3 units
City Council recently passed a motion asking city administration to prepare a report on "restrictions and policies in the zoning code" that could be barriers to development, including minimum lot sizes, setbacks and yard requirements, single stair reform, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
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