Steve Randy Waldman posted some criticisms of the market urbanist position on Interfluidity. The post was interesting, though I took issue with a few specific points. The following are my responses. Regulatory Authority as a Property Right The customary property rights surrounding homeownership in many cities and suburbs include much more than the use of a […]

America’s Progressive Developers–Zeons Inc.
[part of an MU series on America's Progressive Developers]Houston, TXWhen I first entered Houston and got an Airbnb apartment, I thought I would be … [Read More...]

The deal-making behind the Silver Line
In political transactions, players cannot make deals using dollars, but nonetheless they engage in trades to pursue their goals. Policymakers may engage in trades … [Read More...]
How land use regulations hurt the poor
Sandy Ikeda and I have published a new Mercatus paper on the regressive effects of land use regulation. We review the empirical literature on how the effects of rules such as maximum density, parking requirements, urban growth boundaries, and historic … [Read More...]
Smart city data and political opportunism
The term "smart cities" encompasses the interaction of the Internet of Things, the urban environment, and city dwellers. While these innovations have facilitated some very successful new services, smart cities have important limitations in the public … [Read More...]
Neither Public nor Private: Rethinking the Dichotomy
Cato recently kicked off an essay series they’re calling “What Can’t Private Governance Do?”. The series questions how far we can take private governance in replacing public institutions. The most recent essay by Mark Lutter questions where to draw the line … [Read More...]
America’s Progressive Developers–Carlos Fausto Miranda
Miami, FLSeveral months ago, I announced the beginning of an MU series called America’s Progressive Developers, which would document the different forward-thinking builders I met while traveling cross-country. The initial one that I'm profiling—Carlos … [Read More...]
Shell Games in NIMBYism
Yesterday the Cato Institute hosted an event featuring William Fischel's discussion of his new book Zoning Rules! with commentary by Mark Calabria, Matt Yglesias, and Robert Dietz. Fischel explained his theory that zoning was an effective tool for minimizing … [Read More...]
Systemic bias against small scale development
In recent years, some of the country's largest mixed-use real estate developments involved disposition of government-owned land directly to developers. For example, Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn and DC's City Center and Marriott Marquis came about when municipal … [Read More...]