Market Urbanism MUsings June 3, 2016

1. This week at Market Urbanism Michael Lewyn dispels some common misconceptions about Jane Jacobs And High-Rises So I’m not sure she would have favored the common modern idea that high-rise and low-rise buildings should be segregated from each other, or that buildings of different density are “out of scale.” Despite auto-centric regulation and subsidies, Houston‘s “zoning lite” approach seems to be working, according to Nolan Gray in Houston’s Beautiful (yet Partial) Embrace of Market Urbanism This fourth city has managed to balance a booming economy, explosive population growth, and affordable housing. This city has—as cities have for thousands of years—steadily grown denser, more walkable, and more attractive to low-income migrants seeking opportunity. This city is Houston, and it’s well past time for her to come out of the shadows. 2. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group via Adam Hengels: a clip of a speech by Will Arnett’s character in Netfllix’s series “Flaked” who drops the Venice Beach NIMBYs and comes out as a YIMBY via Krishan Madan:  “At a time of such high demand, higher density construction should be legalized” via Adam Hengels: Rethinking a Century of Zoning Andy Walker wants to know who’s going to be at CNU in Detroit this weekend via Krishan Madan: Van Bramer To Block Phipps’ 210-Unit [Affordable Housing] Development Plan, Essentially Kills Proposal (in Queens) Nick Zaiac shared an interesting table from NAHB, who found regulations to account for nearly 1/4 of the cost of new home prices Andrew Atkin shared his predictions of a “Utopian” sprawl, Urbanists cringe via Adam Millsap: Clean money, dirty system: Connected landowners capture beneficial land rezoning Nick Zaiac found some “Good stuff from the Richmond Fed on infrastructure, parking, and reform options” via Roger Valdez: HALA’S Most Confusing Recommendation: The Pushes and Pulls of MIZ (Seattle) via Roger Valdez: Seattle may slap new rules on Airbnb […]