Inclusionary zoning has often been viewed as a policy tool for medium-sized cities or relatively affluent east coast counties. The nation’s oldest and most celebrated inclusionary zoning law exists in Montgomery County, Maryland. For nearly three decades, inclusionary zoning grew in popularity across the country, including over 100 communities in both California and Massachusetts. However, until the late 1990s, no large major U.S. city had adopted a mandatory citywide inclusionary zoning law. Recently, that reality has changed. Large cities such as Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; San Diego, California; and San Francisco, California, have all adopted mandatory inclusionary zoning laws. This policy brief provides: 1) a summary of the major benefits of inclusionary zoning; 2) a description of some of the unique aspects of the various programs adopted by large cities thus far, and 3) case studies of five large U.S. cities with inclusionary zoning programs.