The Philadelphia MSA component of the study reveals that theaverage amount of control exercised throughout the MSA is higherthan the nation's average, exceeded only by the Boston andProvidence, RI metropolitan communities. However, regulation varieswidely among communities within the Philadelphia MSA, with the cityitself being the least regulated. On the index of 1 to 3, forexample, Philadelphia County is at minus 0.02 on the index, whilesuburban Chester County is at 1.59.

"Where there's more regulation, there are higher costs ofdevelopment," one of the authors, Anita Summers, tells GlobeSt.com."The puzzlement is that, while you would think that the densestareas would have the most regulation, that's not the way it workshere or across the country. Each community appropriately regulatesas its citizens want it to." In general, she says that where openspace is a priority, citizens want more regulation and can affordit. The least dense places are not regulating more because they arein danger of running out of land.

"The association between the degree of regulation in a communityand the recent increases in lot development costs strongly suggeststhat regulation is raising costs and, therefore, housing prices,"the Philadelphia MSA report says. "The lower density and more openspace that flows from more regulation are valuable environmentalgoals--a social gain, but also protect capital gains of currentowners--a private gain."