Market Urbanism MUsings September 2, 2016

 

1. This week at Market Urbanism

Palo Alto: The Land of Too Many Jobs by Jeff Fong

The status quo isn’t defensible if you’re concerned with environmental degradation, inequality, poverty, slow growth, or even the decline of property rights. But, for tax protected homeowners, the status quo is exactly what they want and that’s reason enough for them to defend it. If Mayor Burt had simply called it like it is—that those in control of Palo Alto land use like the status quo, aren’t concerned with how it affects others, and will continue blocking incremental change—then we could have at least applauded his honesty.

When It Comes to Walkability, Mexico City Is Miles Ahead by Nolan Gray

Where in many U.S. cities open space is regulated into every single lot through floor area ratio regulations, Mexico City’s developments are dense and public space is efficiently relegated to the city’s ample parks and public spaces. This density and mixture of uses keeps sidewalks busy and safe at nearly all hours of the day.

The Answer to Expensive Housing: Build More by Sanford Ikeda

If you restrict the supply of housing, other things equal, what will happen to the price? That’s not a trick question. Any competent Econ 101 student would answer correctly that the price will rise.

Can Housing Quotas Affect Demand For Housing? by Chris Bradford

It’s a provocative argument. It turns the Econ 101 arguments upside down. Not surprisingly, it generated a fair amount of annoyed twitter chatter from market urbanists (including me) and sage head-nodding from those who believe new construction begets high home prices.

2. Where’s Scott?

Scott Beyer is halfway through the longest single drive of his trip, the 1,000 miles between Austin and Phoenix. He will be stopping in San Antonio, Del Rio, El Paso, Las Cruces, and many smaller towns, along with the Mexican border towns of Acuña and Juárez.

His three articles this week include one for Governing called San Antonio’s Key to Economic Success: Immigrants; and two for Forbes—Zoning: America’s Local Version Of Crony Capitalism and Why Is Austin’s Housing More Expensive Than Other Texas Cities?

One may intuit that Austin is so expensive because all these groups are fighting–along with the techies, the immigrants, the retirees, the state government workers, and so forth–to live in the same city. Perhaps there just isn’t enough housing to go around. But Dallas and Houston, just down the road, serve as the ultimate rebuttal to this sentiment.

3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group:

Nolan Gray was a guest on the Economics Detective Podcast to discuss Trailer Parks, Zoning, and Market Urbanism

Chris Bradford wrote Housing supply and land values

Anthony Ling is moving to the Bay Area and wants to connect with Market Urbanists

Roger Valdez wrote Cities Are Facing A Housing Terminology, Not Affordability, Crisis

Patrick Hall starts a conversation on the impacts of autonomous vehicles on urbanism

Anthony Ling is interested in SPUR events in the Bay Area. What do people recommend?

Chris Bradford wrote Where do Upzonings Happen?

Matt Robare wrote The Open Space Trap

Scott Beyer reports on his discussion with William Fischel on Scott’s recent article about strip malls

Christopher Young shared photos of “A taste of the NIMBY madness in Seattle.“

Sanford Ikeda announces news of a Jane Jacobs documentary, “Citizen Jane,” to be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival next Friday. (Sandy was interviewed for it and may have made the final cut)

via Robert Stark: Suburbs and the Free Market (a 2006 critique of Joel Kotkin)

via Adam Lang: Philly Landlord with the most Blighted Houses? It’s the Philadelphia Housing Authority

via Sanford Ikeda: Construction Unions Stymie Low-Income Housing Plans in California, New York

via Asher Meyers, “Is charging for parking better than congestion fees?”: Why other cities should copy Nottingham‘s revolutionary parking levy

via Krishan Madan: Church sues city of St. Cloud over tiny house

via Joe McKinney: Gateway City: The Challenges Startup Societies will Face in America

via Sanford Ikeda: Watch as the world’s cities appear one-by-one over 6,000 years

via Asher Meyers: SF‘s scooter sharing service’s pricing is competitive

via Krishan Madan: City Attorney Sues Bayview Landlord Over Overcrowding Of Ex-Homeless Veterans

4. Elsewhere

 SF Examiner:  SF Sierra Club puts politics over the planet by Conor Johnston

Reason Magazine has a great write-up on how America’s two most Muslim cities–Dearborn and Hamtramck–are thriving amid Detroit’s decline. It’s only available in their most recent print issue.

WSJ: How Detroit can liberate its entrepreneurs

5. Stephen Smith‘s tweet of the week:

Downtown Bklyn may see rental glut. I wish cheaper submarkets in NYC had the same loose zoning to enable gluts! https://t.co/1G1OPVsMqZ

— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) August 30, 2016