About Us
Carolyn Ristau, Owner
Carolyn Ristau is a writer and urban planner specializing in zoning and land development ordinances. She uses plain language and storytelling to write, edit, and advocate for zoning codes that are inclusive, readable, and implementable. She has over a decade of experience working in zoning, community development, and housing in Pittsburgh.
Inspired by her work experiences, Carolyn is researching morality, zoning, and redevelopment. She is a Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture’s Remaking Cities Institute where she is researching the adaptive reuse of religious buildings and morality in zoning. Under this second topic, she published “Residential Zoning by Race: How Pittsburgh’s Zoning District Promote Different Housing Options for Black and White Residents” as the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency's 2022 Kathy A. Possinger Housing Policy Fellow.
Carolyn graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 with a BA in Urban Studies. She is the author of "Zoning Adventures: A Home Addition Paper Chase” (2020).