I had always thought dollar stores were a nice thing to have in an urban neighborhood, but recently they have become controversial. Some cities have tried to limit their growth, based on the theory that “they impede opportunities for grocery stores and other businesses to take root and grow.” This is supposedly a terrible thing […]
More evidence that sunlight is no crisis
In my email box today, I received a message from an anti-housing group, touting a study from the localize.city website* on sunlight on New York neighborhoods. The purpose of the study is to show which neighborhoods have the least sunlight.The study … [Read More...]
The Paper of Record Gets Yorkville Wrong
Even the most supposedly reputable mainstream media is often less than careful in its coverage of housing issues. For example, a few weeks ago the New York Times ran an article on the Upper East Side's Yorkville neighborhood, implying that high-rises are … [Read More...]
Why “Move to Boise” Is No Answer
One common argument raised by NIMBYs is that zoning is not harmful to humans, because people priced out of expensive cities can always move to a cheaper one.But a recent story illustrates why this argument is misguided: the story discusses increased … [Read More...]
Learning from Astor Street
One common argument against mixing housing types and densities is that if housing type A (for example, townhouses or single-family homes) is mixed with housing type B (for example, condos), the neighborhood will somehow be "ruined" for residents of the less … [Read More...]
The Truth About “Red Vienna”: Its a YIMBY Paradise!
One common leftist argument against new housing is the "Red Vienna" argument: the claim that housing can only be affordable in places where the government dominates the housing market. Supporters of this claim like to mention Vienna, where (according to … [Read More...]
A Desire for Density
Political controversies over building new homes, shops, and offices have long revolved around an axis of "neighborhood vs developer." Depending on your perspective, the "neighborhood" side was either the feisty underdogs looking to maintain the character of … [Read More...]
Interview with Onésimo Flores, Founder of Jetty
In this interview I talk to Onésimo Flores, Founder of Jetty, a (sort-of) microtransit company from Mexico City.Marcos Schlickmann: Thank you for participating in this interview. Please introduce yourself and talk a little bit about how Jetty came to … [Read More...]
The Carnegie Library Apple Store is Fine
The Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. is now home to the world’s newest Apple Store following an expensive rehabilitation funded by the retailer. Originally built as a public library in 1903, it reopened its doors to the public on May 11, 2019 following … [Read More...]