The Effects of Local Regulations and Public Responses on Proposed Religious Buildings in the Suburbs

• In Event: 488 - Section on Sociology of Religion Paper Session. Institutional Intersections: Religious Effects in Other Institutional Realms

Abstract

Religious groups wishing to construct a new building or renovate an existing structure often have to apply to local governments for approval. Through examining thirty-seven proposals from religious groups in three suburban communities in the Chicago region between January 2010 and December 2014, this study finds that plans for buildings that ask for more exceptions from the existing zoning regulations, proposals situated in areas adjacent to single-family homes, and negative perceptions of the religious group making the proposal can lead to more opposition from local governments and neighbors to building plans put forward by religious congregations. In this sample, Islamic groups faced particular scrutiny with requests for buildings outside existing zoning guidelines and located in residential areas. Ultimately, these findings suggest that a group wishing to practice their faith in the suburbs by constructing or renovating a building involves a process not solely internal to a religious group but rather social interactions encompassing the approval of local officials and neighbors.

Author

• Brian J. Miller, Wheaton College